The Love of Clouds and Laptops
by Twilight-to-Nightfall
Summary: Dani Shields, the top student in her class and an aspiring novelist. Nara Shikamaru, a genius with a 200 IQ who is too lazy for his own good. What if this over achiever and this lazy ninja happen to meet? Can their two worlds turn into one? ShikamaruxOC
1. A Magical Computer?

The Love of Clouds and Laptops

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(A/N: Hello! I've thought of a new Naruto fanfiction! It was really weird how I thought up of this fanfiction. It was during Italian class yesterday and what triggered me to think up this fanfic? I don't know. Well, I hope you like this story as much as you like my other stories. Oh, and don't worry, _My Life With You _fans! I'll still work on that story while I do this one! Now I have two stories to work on! Yay, me!) 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto except for my OC, Dani Shields

Enjoy!!

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Chapter 1

A Magical Computer?

"Tee, hee! We should go mini golfing _every _weekend!" a girl with shoulder length wavy blond hair beamed to a girl with waist length black hair.

"Yeah, we should!" the other girl agreed, smiling and giggling.

_I'm being ignored…yet again….Typical day…. _I thought, glaring at the two laughing girls facing each other while munching onto their sandwiches on low carb bread. I sighed heavily as I grabbed my messenger bag and headed out of the crowded, noisy cafeteria. _It's the same damn thing every day…. _I thought again as I scaled up the stairs to the third floor. _Screw it. I've got some writing to do anyway. Who needs them…?_

I finally reached to the library and sat on a chair of a secluded table. I whipped out my laptop from my bag and started typing away. The entire room was mute except for the clicking sounds of my fingertips pressing onto the keys of the keyboard rapidly. It was music to my ears.

My name is Dani Shields, age fifteen and a sophmore in high school. I'm considered one of the geniuses in my class, for my grades were superior than the majority of the students in my grade. I'm pretty short compared to the majority of the students in my school. I'm roughly five feet even, and I'm neither sickly underweight or severely overweight. I'm just a few pounds overweight, I'd say about three or five pounds.

I'm considered to be…average, a plain Jane. I have short chestnut brown hair that reaches to my mid neck. I used to have flowing long hair that reached to my waist, but I got tired of it and it became a burden that it was always in the way, so I chopped it all off to my neck. That was about two years ago and I haven't grown my hair out since.

A lot of people had complimented me on my eyes, but I don't see why the color of the sky is anything special. I'm not gorgeous, but I'm not hideous. Back to my previous statement, I'm a plain Jane. I usually wear glasses during class since I don't really have the best eyesight. For attire, I usually wear a simple pair of jeans, sneakers, and a hoody of any color except for pink, nothing flashy or expensive like the clothes most of my classmates wear.

Why don't we pull my whole physical appearance description aside, shall we? I'm really not much to look at, so why did I even bother? Anyways, I'm an over achiever. I'll admit that. Each night, I'd be up in my bedroom sitting on my bed doing homework while my bed swarmed with textbooks and papers. I get straight A's and I'm one of the top students of my class, quite possibly the whole school.

My dream is to be a writer; both for my love of writing and to have people recognize me and not discard me like a piece of scrap paper. I never had many friends from the start of my educational years and I still don't now. I get pretty lonely easily, but I try not to show it.

Those two girls I was sitting with earlier during lunch are my friends Jessie and Natalie…or so I thought they were my friends. Jessie was the girl who had the wavy blond hair. I met her in my junior high school years. We used to talk all the time, but recently, she's been ignoring me for no apparent reason whatsoever. I'm not sure why she is, but what do _I_ care? I don't find it as much of a loss and on top of it, I didn't do anything wrong. Jessie pretty much hates everyone for no reason at all, out of spite or jealously. Now, really, how can someone have so much hate in them? Is her life really _that _horrible? I guess no one will ever know.

The other girl with the black hair was Natalie. I met her in my elementary school years and she and I used to be best friends. We used to be so close because of our common interests until Jessie came into the picture. Natalie talks to me sometimes, but most of the time, she would ignore me even when Jessie _wasn't _around. So I pretty much lost two of my only friends. How so? I don't know nor do I care. Well, that's enough about my life.

"Dani?" a kind voice whispered gently beside me.

I discontinued typing and looked up, only to find Ms. Dillon, the school librarian. "Oh, hey, Ms. Dillon," I greeted.

"Hello, Dani," she smiled. She looked at my laptop screen with curiosity. "Still working on that novel of yours?" she questioned. As a reply, I merely nodded as I continued typing away. "I'm sure you'll make a splendid novelist," Ms. Dillon supported. "And I'm sure everyone will recognize you." Soon after she said that, I stopped typing, saved my story, closed out of Microsoft Word, and shut down my laptop. "Oh! Did I say something that made you—?"

"The bell's about to ring," I interrupted, sitting motionlessly in my seat. The school bell interrupted the few seconds of silence, signaling me to get to class. I placed my laptop in my bag and started to walk out of the library. "See ya later, Ms. Dillon," I called as I walked down the hallway to my next class.

_Later that day…._

The bell that signaled the end of the school day finally rang. The doors of each classroom flung open as a herd of students stampeded their way out of the school rejoicing the start of a long weekend. As for me, I remained neutral through my walk down the hallway. _I really wish these guys would just chill out, I mean, it's just a three-day weekend…. _I thought as I sighed heavily. I had just walked passed the entrance to the library when….

"Hey, Dani! Dani, over here!" an obnoxious voice called from the library. I peeked into the room and groaned forcefully at the sight I saw. It was a boy with spiked up brown hair wearing skater clothes who was sitting on a chair in front of one of the computers. A skateboard was positioned by his feet. It was none other than my annoying next-door neighbor and friend, Roger.

I sighed heavily once again. "Roger…." I greeted rather dully.

"Hey, Dani! You're smart, aren't cha! Listen, the computer I was using froze and I was wonderin' if you can help me out?" Roger asked, pointing to the still computer screen.

I sighed once again as I shook my head in pity. "Honestly, Roger, what am I gonna do with you?" I asked, shoving him out of the seat and sitting down. I did all I could do to fix the computer, but nothing worked. "Hm…that's a predicament…." I muttered, staring questionably at the computer screen. "What the hell did you do, Roger, go on a pornography site?" I assumed.

"Oh, ha, ha, _very_ funny, Dani…." Roger muttered in sarcasm.

I ignored Roger's sarcastic remark as I continued to stare at the computer screen. It was odd….Usually, I was able to fix a frozen computer with ease, but now…. "Hm…." I started, squinting a bit. "Dammit!" I cursed, punching the computer screen lightly. At that action, a small spark popped out of the screen. Eventually, a huge jolt of lightning popped out of the screen and covered my entire body. I screeched in agony as I struggled to break free from the lightning, but failed to do so.

"Dani!" Roger hollered, trying to grab me, but got shocked in the process.

"Roger! Roger, help me!" I cried as I suddenly felt the lightning pulling me into the computer screen. I shut my eyes tightly, expecting the worse as I felt myself being pulled into the computer screen….

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"Uh…wh-what…?" I started as I drowsily flutter my eyes open. As my eyes finally opened, I looked around and found myself out in the outdoors…of a 2-D animated world. "Wha-what the—?" I stammered as I slowly stood up and looked around. I was standing as the entrance of a village in a cartoon-like world. "How did—? What the—?" I stuttered. Just then, I looked down and was started to see that I had become a cartoon myself. The artwork done on me was beautifully detailed and it was then when I realized…. "Holy shit! I'm in an anime!" I gasped loudly to the heavens above. 

**(A/N: Yes, I know, the first chapter is very short. Ah, well. Anyways, I'll work on the next chapter as well as chapter 20 of _My Life With You_. Hope you all enjoyed this story! Read and review, please!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	2. Meeting Team 10

Chapter 2

A Narcissist, a Chubby Guy, and a Chain Smoker

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(A/N: Hey, guys! I finally managed to finish chapter 2 of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! I honestly don't think this chapter's any good, but I tried...-sweat drops- Well, I hope you guys like it.) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 1..._**

**Wolf Demon Kunoichi13: **Thank you! And don't worry if you didn't have a comment. It's understandable since it was the first chapter and it wasn't much. Well, hope you like this chapter!

**Gaara's Pyro RACCOON: **Thanks! Here's your updated!

**aziangurl723: **Thank you. Well, actually, Dani lives in America. I'm sorry if I didn't mention that little detail, but I mentioned it in _this _chapter.

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you very much! And yes, I spaced out the third paragraph. You're right. It _is _easier. -sweat drops- And I'm glad the whole "2-D" part amused you. :)

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"Oh, my—" I gulped, looking down at my new 2-D body. "How the hell did this happen? And am I speaking Japanese! What the hell! Man, this is so creepy….Oh, god! My laptop! D-did I bring it along!" I panicked, rummaging through my messenger bag for my laptop. "Ah, ha! Found ya, my precious!" I sighed in relief, pulling my laptop out of my bag and hugging it to my chest. I then sat on the ground and turned it on. "Let's just check if things are the way they're supposed to be, shall we?" I muttered, opening up Microsoft Word. I sighed in relief when I found that my nameless novel was still there. "Good…." I whispered under my breath as I closed my laptop and looked up at the closed gates of a village. "Well, I have nowhere else to go…." I uttered as I stood up. "I might as well go through these gates and stay there until I find a way home…." I sighed forcefully as I gazed at the gates before me. "Well, here's goes nothing…." I placed my hands on the gates as I pushed them open. I found myself wandering around the peculiar village aimlessly. Throughout my little voyage, I received many stares from the villagers. _Geez….It's like they think I'm not human or something…. _I thought, glaring at the gaping villagers. I was feeling a presence behind me, but I chose to ignore it…for a little while…. 

"Hey, you! Foreigner!" an obnoxious voice with a nasal quality hollered from behind me. I stopped walking and turned my head to find three blond girls standing before me. Those girls…they were so…_unnatural_. Their eyelids were painted with huge blobs of shades of blue and green eye shadow. Their eyelashes were curled and had clomps of black mascara on them. A heavy amount of blush grazed their cheekbones. Their faces were darkened with an unnatural tan. They were also very skinny, no, actually, sickly anorexic is the correct term to describe the three, I believe.

"Eh…?" I bluntly started, pointing to myself. _I can even understand what they're saying...and they're speaking Japanese!_

"Yeah, _you_! What's an ordinary and plain girl like you doing here! You should get outta this village and take your ugliness with you!" the girl in the middle mocked.

"Yeah!" the other two agreed.

_Huh. She must be the ringleader of the Paris Hilton wannabe club and the other two are her bitches…. _I thought, getting annoyed with the girls.

"Ugh! Your hair is so thin and plain!" the girl spat.

"Yeah!" the other two gagged.

"And you're so pale!"

"Ew!"

"And your clothes are so…ugh!"

"Gag me with a spoon!"

"And you're not even wearing make up!"

"Ah! The horror!"

"And you're fat. Lose some weight."

_Yeah…the pointless insults are starting to get on my nerves…. _I thought as my eyebrow twitched. "First of all, I can't help the fact that my hair's thin and plain. I was born like this, so you best learn how to deal with it. Secondly, I'm not pale. My skin happens to be a lighter tone than yours…and it's like this _naturally_, mind you. I don't wear make up except for cover up to, well, cover up any minor blemishes I may have. I try my best not to look like a freak show with heavy amounts of make up, thank you very much. My attire is pretty normal. I don't go walking around dressed in a belly shirt, short skirt, and thong to avoid looking like a total prostitute and having perverted guys eye hump me. And for your information, I'm not fat. So I'm a few pounds overweight, no biggie. See, I know I'm not pretty, but I _am _content with myself. Not everyone has to be a skanky, anorexic, conceited, attention whore."

"Are you implying something!" the girl in the middle growled defensively.

"What, that you're a conceited bitch who looks fake? Yep, you caught me red handed."

The girl snarled through her pearly whites as she made a fist. "You little whore!" she roared, charging towards me. Out of nowhere, another blond girl came out of nowhere and stood between my assailant and me. Now, I could say that this girl was pretty who didn't look like one of those mannequins one would find in a department store. She had long blond hair that was tied in a long ponytail with a huge lock of hair draping over one of her eyes. The only source of make up I could find on her face was light green eyeliner that complimented her light blue eyes very nicely. She was dressed in a lavender belly shirt with a matching mini shirt. I also noticed that she wasn't sickly think like the three girls who were mocking me about my body structure; she was slender. "Hey! What's the big idea, huh!" the slutty blond barked, shooting an angry look at the girl who had her fist in her palm, blocking the punch she was inflict on me.

"Jeez, Yumi, instead of ridiculing some girl you barely even know, why don't you go throw up some more and go see your pimp, hm?" my savior advised, a sly smirk appearing on her lips. The one named Yumi snarled as she and her posse strutted away.

_Well, now that **that's **taken care of, I'm outta here…. _I thought as I started to walk off silently.

"Hey! Don't I at least get a 'thank you' or something!" the girl who told off Yumi called.

I stopped at my tracks and turned to face the girl. _Well, it's only fair…._ I thought, shrugging to myself mentally. _I might as well show **some **gratitude…. _"Um, thanks."

The girl grinned cheekily. "No problem! Hey, I've never seen _you_ around here before. New in town?"

"Well, something like that…."

"Great! My name is Yamanaka Ino, by the way!"

"I'm Dani. Dani Shields. First name: Dani. Last name: Shields."

"Nice to meet cha, Dani!" Ino beamed. "Hey, let's get some lunch! My treat!"

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_Yes! Food! _I thought happily as I started munching onto the seafood tempura on my plate. Not long before after introducing ourselves, Ino brought me to a nice Japanese restaurant for lunch. She told me that I was in the village of Konohagakure, and in this village, almost every person was a ninja. I told her about the little situation I had with the computer from my school library and the fact that I wasn't a resident of this animated world, but a real life world where things are dreary and where no one is perfect based of their physical descriptions. Everyone has to have at least _one _minor flaw. 

"So, what kind of name is 'Dani', anyway?" Ino questioned as she watched me eat my food.

I looked up at her. "What do you mean?" I muffled through chewing.

"It's such a weird name. Why would _any_ parent _ever_ name their daughter _that_?"

"It's short for Daniela, thank you very much," I snarled through my teeth. "And look who's talking. What kind of name is 'Ino'?"

"It's a pretty name. It's very suiting for a pretty girl like me," she gloated, flicking her ponytail to the side in a sexual way.

_Conceited, are we…? _I thought as my eyebrow twitched. _And why the hell did you flick your ponytail like that? Why would anyone find that sexy? Geez, this isn't an Herbal Essence commercial…. _

"So, Dani, you're from another world, you say?" Ino asked, seeming fascinated by my homeland.

"Yeah, it's nothing special, really," I shrugged as I sipped onto my plain green tea. "I came from a small town in American in a three dimensional world. I'm guessing the computer Roger was using was magical, which may explain why I got transported into _this _world. I actually kinda like it here."

"Hm? Why, Dani? Aren't ya gonna miss your friends and family?" Ino assumed.

"Psh, _what _friends?" I scoffed as I looked out the window. "All of my so called 'friends' ignore me anyway. I don't care. I don't need them. And to add the icing on the cake, I get ridiculed by a bunch of girls at my high school because of my physical appearance, just like those blonds from earlier. So, why would I want to go back?"

"But I don't understand why they make fun of you," Ino replied. "You're not ugly; you're actually kinda cute in a natural way."

I blinked a few times. "Um, are you _flirting _with me 'cause I'm sorry, but I'm straight…." my assumption caused Ino's face to go pale.

"Ugh! Heck no! I like guys! I ain't no lesbian!" she spat.

"I was just joshing with you, chill out," I told her, holding my hands up defensively. "Anyways, Ino, what's the deal with that Yumi chick and her little suck ups?"

"Hm? Ah, don't worry about them," she assured. "They _always _make fun of people who are virgins and aren't sticks. But get this; Yumi's really a bulimic prostitute who sleeps around with so many men to earn money. She even has herself a thirty-year-old pimp."

"Now, really, do you think you should gossip about her? It's gonna bite you in the ass sooner or later…." I advised.

"Aw, whatever, it's true, though," she shrugged. It grew silent. I continued eating quietly as I felt her eyes upon me.

"Um…what…?" I asked her, getting a little annoyed with the staring.

"You have nowhere to stay, huh?" she assumed in sympathy. My only reply to her was a simple nod. "Well, you can come stay with _me_ for a while," she offered.

My eyes widen at her offer. "You'd _do _that?"

"Sure thing. It'd be fun! I could let you borrow some of my cute outfits and make up so that you too will look beautiful…like me!"

_Damn, she's narcissistic…. _I thought, _but she's nice to me and that's all the matters, right?_ "Hey, Ino?" I began.

"Yeah?" she questioned.

"You said before that in this village, almost everyone's a ninja, right?"

"Uh, huh."

"So are _you _a ninja yourself?"

"Yep! I'm a kunoichi along with my teammates Chouji and Shikamaru!"

'_Chouji'…? 'Shikamaru'…? Weird names…._ I thought. "Um, _who_?"

"Yeah, once an academy student becomes a ninja, he or she gets put into a team of three people," Ino explained. "The team usually consists of two guys and a girl. Anyhoo, one of the guys I mentioned is Akimichi Chouji. He's a cool guy and all, but he needs to stop thinking about food and lose weight. The other guy is Nara Shikamaru and he smokes like a chimney and he's, well, he's just there."

_So, there's a narcissist, a chubby guy, and a chain smoker in a team…? _I thought. _And I'm gonna end up meeting **all **of them? Jesus…._

"Ha, ha! Barbeque!" an unfamiliar voice beamed from the entrance of the restaurant. At an instant, I noticed that Ino's face had gotten pale again as she froze.

"Um…Ino?" I started, waving my hand in front of her. "Hello?"

"Oh, dammit, they're here…." she murmured under her breath, placing her hand over her forehead.

"Huh? _Who's _here?" I wondered, cocking up an eyebrow at her.

"My teammates…." she muttered again. "Dammit, Chouji's loud…and he's excited about having barbeque, too…."

Ignoring Ino for a bit, I glanced over towards the direction of the entrance of the restaurant to find two boys around my age (A/N: The description I'm about to use for Shikamaru and Chouji are the ones from the time skip so if any of you don't know what they look like in the time skip part of the Naruto manga, then they're gonna look slightly different than what they look like in the current anime series. Anyways….). The boy that caught my eye right away was plump and wearing a crimson red outfit. He had messy brown hair that reached to his shoulder blades. There were small red swirls painted on his chubby cheeks. He dark eyes gleamed with happiness, for he craved for food. I assumed that he was Chouji.

The guy standing beside him was thinner than Chouji. He was wearing a green vest with a long sleeved ebony shirt beneath it with pants in the same hue. His black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, which kind of amused me because his head reminded me of a pineapple. His brown eyes stared at his friend lazily. I also noticed that he had a cigarette in his mouth. I assumed that he was Shikamaru. "Oh, so _they're _your teammates…." I said to Ino.

"Yep…." she sighed.

"That Shikamaru guy's pretty hot."

"Gross…."

"That's just _my _opinion…."

"Okay, why don't you go bang him, then?"

"Um, no. I don't go for smokers…."

"Hey! It's Ino!" the one named Chouji beamed, recognizing Ino from the entrance.

"Shit…." Ino grumbled as she heard her teammates approaching her.

"Hey, Ino, who's your friend?" Chouji wondered, gaping at me.

"Oh, this is Dani Shields. She's new here, so—"

"Nice to meet cha, Dani!" Chouji chirped, plopping on the seat beside me and shaking my hand. "The name's Akimichi Chouji and he's Nara Shikamaru!"

"Um, hello…." I replied, blinking a few times.

Shikamaru stared at me with a blank look on his face. "_Another _female…?" he groaned as he exhaled smoke from his cigarette. "How troublesome…."

I returned his blank look. "How charming…." I said sarcastically.

"Now, now, you two, this isn't how you guys should start off…." Ino advised as she sweat dropped. "Now, let's just eat and at least _try _to get along…."

"Psh…." I scoffed as I shifted my gaze out the window. _**He **started it…._

**(A/N: Yes, I know. The ending sucked terribly. But I had to end the chapter somehow, right? Anyhoo, in the next chapter, Dani moves in with Ino. Ino suggests that they go...shopping! And Dani doesn't seem pleased. Ha, ha. The next story to be updated is _My Life With You _as usual. Well, read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	3. Shopping with Ino: Dani's Great Escape!

Chapter 3

Shopping With Ino and Dani's Great Escape!

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(A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back with the update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! Ooh! I have big news! I have two pics of Dani on my profile! Yatta! Well, anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 2..._**

**Hana No Chi: **Thank you! And yes, Paris "lazy eye" Hilton is taking over anime. Ha, ha! Well, enjoy this chapter!

**Wolf Demon Kunoichi13: **Thanks! I figured I should have Ino stand up for someone who was being ridiculed by a bunch of fake-looking girls. Ha, ha. And I'm glad you liked Dani's comebacks. Here's your update!

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thanks! And yes, Shika _does_ smoke. I couldn't believe it _myself _when I first knew about it. And I did decent on my progress report. I just got one D, and that's in Geometry...Meh...

**kind-hearted demon: **I know you didn't review chapter 2, but I want to thank you anyway for reviewing chapter 1!Here's your update!

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"Well, here we are!" Ino chirped as she led me in her house. Right after having lunch with her teammates, Ino gave me a tour around Konoha for a while until dusk when she suggested that I should settle in at her house, my new home for the moment. 

"You know, Ino, you didn't have to offer me to stay here," I told her. "You don't have to be so modest."

"Nonsense, Dani! It's no trouble at all!" she assured. "Unless you _want _to sleep out in the streets."

"Um…no…." I objected.

"I thought as much. Dad! I'm home!" she called throughout the house, her voice echoing through the rooms.

"Not so loud, Ino," a masculine voice called from another room. Making his way into the room was a tall man who looked around his late thirties early forties. I must say, I was a little freaked out when I saw him because he was basically the adult, male equivalent of Ino: long blond hair that was tied in a high ponytail and the same light blue eyes.

_Man, oh, man…. _I thought, gaping at Ino's father. _He's like her twin! Even **my **father doesn't look like me **that **much…._

"Daddy, this is my new friend, Dani," Ino introduced, pulling me to her side. "She's new here and she has nowhere else to go. Can she stay here for a while?"

Ino's father grinned brightly as he patted me on the shoulder. "Of course!" he happily beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Dani. My name is Yamanaka Inoichi."

I blinked a few times. _Wow…even their **names **are similar…. _I thought. "It's nice to meet you, too, sir," I replied, giving him a small smile.

Ino grinned at my replied and turned to her father. "Hey, Dad, weren't you supposed to go to the bar with Shikaku and Choza tonight?" she assumed.

"Yeah, I was about to leave right now," Inoichi answered as he headed his way to the door. "Well, I got to go. Bye, Ino."

"Bye, Dad."

"And make yourself at home, Dani. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, sir." With that, he left the household.

"Hey, Dani, we have a guest room right next to mine, so you could sleep there," Ino suggested. "Come on, let me show you." She led me up a scale of stairs to the second floor. We passed by a few rooms until we stopped at the fourth door. When we entered the room, Ino flicked the light switch and reveled a bedroom. The walls were painted in a burgundy red and were bare, for there were no paintings or posters nailed on them. The wooden floor was so glossy that when the light turned on, the floor shined vibrantly. A T.V. set was set on top of a tall dresser and directly across from it was a small bed with bed sheets that was the color of night. "I know this isn't the most glamorous looking room in the world," Ino admitted, "but—"

"It's alright," I assured, interrupting her. "I don't mind at all. Actually, to tell you the truth, red's my favorite color."

"Oh, it is?" she questioned, looking at the burgundy walls.

"Mhmm."

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Anyways, it's getting late. I have big plans for us tomorrow morning!"

_Oh, I can hardly wait…. _I thought in sarcasm, sweat dropping mentally. "Oh, sounds like fun," I lied, hiding my non-enthusiastic manner.

"Yep, well, goodnight," she said as she walked out of my room.

"Goodnight," I repeated after her, shutting the door and leaning against it. Butterflies were fluttering in my abdomen. I knew what this feeling was…_homesickness_. I would feel this way when my family and I go on vacation every year. On the first night, I would always feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I was homesick, the feeling I was feeling that moment. _It's only the first night…. _I thought as I approached my bed. _By tomorrow, I'll feel all better…._

_The Next Morning…._

"Dani! Wake up, sleepyhead!" Ino proclaimed, shaking me to wake me up the next morning.

"Hm….Why are you waking me up, Ino…?" I yawned, rubbing my blood shot eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going shopping!" Ino chirped, flailing her arms in the air.

I shot her a un amused glare. "Um…no thanks…." I declined, flopping back into bed.

Ino let out an irritated groaned as she dragged me out of bed, causing me to plummet to the ground. "You need new clothes, Dani. We're going shopping, and that's final," she declared.

I sighed heavily as I sat up. "Fine, fine. I'll start getting ready…."

"Good!" she beamed, skipping her way out of the room.

I shifted my gaze towards the glossy wooden floor as I felt pain pulsing on my bottom. "Bitch…." I muttered.

* * *

"Whoo! Shopping!" Ino cheered as she and I strolled throughout Konoha to find a clothing store. 

"Heh, heh…._Fun_…." I muttered in sarcasm, gazing at the happy villagers walking through town.

"So, Dani, what kind of clothes do ya like?" she questioned me.

"Um…it doesn't really matter to me…." I replied.

"Oh, come on! Be more specific! Skirts, tube tops, pink sweaters—"

"No, no, and _hell _no…."

"Aw, why?"

"One, I hate skirts. Two, I'm not a fan of shirts that don't include straps. And three, I _loathe _the color pink…."

Ino gasped at my final reason. "You don't like _pink_! What's _wrong_ with you!"

I stared at her blankly. "….Not _everyone _has to like _pink_, Ino….As I told you before, _red _is my favorite color…."

Ino gaped at me for a bit, but then shifted her gaze towards the passing shops. "Oh, well….Red and pink are _practically _the same color."

I merely rolled my eyes at this. "Whatever you say, Ino….Whatever you say…."

"Ooh! Ooh! I found a store that has _lots _of cute stuff! C'mon, let's go!" she chirped, grabbing my arm and hauling me into a store. There, I found many clothes in different fabrics and a variety of hue, including red, green, blue, violet, magenta, yellow, brown, black, white…and pink…ew….

"I see pink…." I grumbled, scowling a bit. Yeah, I really _did _loathe that color.

Ino merely scoffed as she pinched my arm. "Oh, suck it up, you. Trust me, you're _bound _to find something you like. This store…it has _everything_."

I groaned forcefully as I looked around. "Eh…maybe I'll dig up something…."

"_That's _the spirit, Dani!" she cheered, patting my back. "C'mon! Let's get started!"

_One Hour Later…._

_And again, I found **another **shirt I liked that only runs on an extra small and the only option for color is pink….Ew…. _I thought as I shoved the child sized pink shirt to the side. Throughout the entire time at the store, I've found many pretty shirts that caught my eye. They were lacy, with a choice between short or long sleeve. I've always adored the Lolita style. Unfortunately, the shirts only ran in extra smalls, and I wore mediums or larges…if I'm lucky, I could wear smalls. Also, the ones I found only had them in pink…._Pink _of all the colors of the spectrum.

_This sucks, man…._ I thought again. I groaned forcefully. _I give up. I'm outta here…. _I searched around for Ino, but there was no sign of her. _Hm…she must be looking at the clothes on clearance….Looks like the coast's clear…. _With that, I stealthy sneaked my way out of the shop.

"_Now _what…?" I wondered, standing outside the clothing story. Just then, something from across the street caught my eye…a bookstore. _Nice! _I thought happily as I sprinted across the street. _I'm **bound **to find something in here rather than that pink loving, skinny craving store! Maybe I can finally find that manga I've been wanting! _

I walked into the bookstore and searched for the graphic novel section. "Hm…let's see…." I mumbled quietly as I searched from bookcase to bookcase. "Ah, ha! Found it!" I exclaimed silently as I found over a dozen rows of manga stacked together on a bookcase. "And there it is! The manga I've been wanting!...Shit….It's too high up…." I snarled, annoyed that my favorite shojo manga was placed at the very top of the bookcase. I looked around the area and spotted a ladder placed in front of the bookcase filled with fantasy novels. "Jackpot…." I smirked, grabbing the ladder and climbing up. _Gotcha! _I thought as I snatched the manga….

"Um…I'd be careful if I were you…." a familiar voice unexpectedly called from behind me, causing to jump. The ladder wobbled a bit, but I stopped it by grabbing onto the bookshelf. I looked down and noticed a familiar young man with a pineapple shaped head….Nara Shikamaru.

"Hmph! What do _you _care…?" I scoffed, turning my head away, remembering the way he acted towards me the other day. "And what are ya doing here anyways?" I questioned him as I searched for another manga that I would read.

"My mom wanted me to get a book for her," he answered in a slothful manner. "Troublesome. I'd rather go for a smoke than this…."

_So, this guy really **does **smoke like a chimney…. _I thought. "Then you can go smoke _after _you get your mom the book she wants," I suggested.

"That's exactly what I was planning to do, anyways…." Shikamaru told me.

"Pft. Whatever…." I scoffed, grabbing another manga.

"You're gonna fall, you know," Shikamaru suddenly called, looking up at me.

"Shut it, I'll be fine," I assured as I tucked the manga under my arms.

Shikamaru merely shrugged as he started to walk off. "Fine, fine, but don't come crying to me when you fall on your ass…."

"Huh. Yeah, right, like I'm going to fall to my 'painful demise'…." I sneered. As I started to climb down, the ladder shook a little, but I chose to ignore it….Poor choice. Suddenly, the ladder started to fall backwards. "Oh, damn!" I screamed, shutting my eyes. I thought the fall was going to be pretty painful…but it wasn't. When I opened my eyes, I found that Shikamaru had caught my fall and was holding me bridal style. "Wha-what the hell do you think you're doing?" I stammered, a light blush tinting my cheeks. "Put me down."

"Huh. So much for a 'thank you for saving my stupid ass'…." Shikamaru snarled through his teeth annoyed, dropping me on the ground.

"Hey!" I barked, feeling pain on my bottom.

"Ah, here it is. Finally…." Shikamaru sighed as he pulled out a book from the bookshelf, ignoring me completely.

"I was _talking _to you, dammit!" I hollered, trying to get his attention. _Man, usually I'm so calm and collected, but with this guy!_

Shikamaru turned around and stared down at me. "Eh? You say something?" he asked.

I snarled through my teeth. _Wise ass…. _I thought. "Never mind. Forget it…." I then grabbed my manga and stood up.

"_There _you are, Dani!" a familiar voice boomed, her voice echoing throughout the bookstore. And that was when a very angry Ino stomped her way over to me.

"Oh, snap…." I muttered to myself, sighing heavily. "Hey, Ino…."

"Don't 'hey' me!" she snapped. "I was looking all over for you!"

"Look, I couldn't find anything in that store, and so I left. I _really _don't see what the big deal is…?"

"Oh, forget it. Dani, I don't need to explain it to you…." Ino groaned, smacking her forehead with her palm. She then turned Shikamaru. "And what the heck are _you _doing here? It's not like you to come into a place like this."

"I'm only here for some troublesome errand and nothing more…." Shikamaru shrugged as he walked off to pay for the book.

"Um…okay…?" Ino uttered. She then turned to me and glared. "And _you_! Don't you ever make me have to look for you again!"

I groaned forcefully as I held up the manga I wanted to purchase. "Fine, fine, but before you start lecturing me throughout our walk home, can I at least buy these?"

Ino sighed heavily at my request. "Sure, Dani…."

**(A/N: Well, that's that! And now, for the previews of chapter 4: One day, while Ino went training, Dani decides to wander around Konoha for a while. She even decides to go into the woods...until she gets attacked by a couple of ninja! Who will save her? Anyhoo, I haven't thought of a title name for this chapter, but I'll come up with something! The next story to be updated is, of course, _My Life With You_. Well, read and review, everyone! And have a Happy New Years (I know New Years is five days away, but what the heck!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	4. My Hero

Chapter 4

My Hero

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(A/N: Hiiiiii! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this story! I've been a little busy and I didn't have much time to finish this chapter, and I fear next week will be worse 'cause I have mid-terms. Well, I'm finally done with chapter 4! Oh, I almost forgot! On my profile, I have two pics of Dani! Hope you like this chapter!) 

**_Fore those of you who reviewed chapter 3..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thanks! Stupid alerts...Ha, ha! Well, I hope you like this chpater! Sorry to keep you waiting for so long!

**Wolf Demon Kunoichi13: **Yes, to me, pink is the root of all evil. But yeah, I would like to meet a girl like Dani, too. We'd also be fast friends. Well, here's your update!

(A/N: Aw, I only had two reviews? Hopefully, I'll get more on this chapter!)

* * *

"Okay, Dani, I'm gonna go out and train with my team, so you can just wander around the village for a while," Ino called by the front door one morning. 

"Sure thing, Ino," I answered while typing more on my laptop in my room all the way upstairs. It had been about a month since I've been in Konoha. I was getting used to being so far away from home, and gradually, I became less homesick. I didn't mind living with Ino either. Sure, she can be kind of annoying and demanding, but she was still a good friend to me. She was actually better than my so-called "friends" back home.

During my stay here, I also met some very interesting characters. Uzumaki Naruto, for instance, was a cute blond who was striving to become the leader of this village, or the "Hokage". He was ramen obsessed and could be kind of goofy, but he was really nice to me.

And then there was a girl named Haruno Sakura, who was a young medical ninja. She was a friend of Ino's, but she used to be her rival because they were after a boy named Uchiha Sasuke, who had betrayed Konoha two and half years ago and still hadn't returned. I only saw her a couple of times, but she seemed nice, kind of bitchy, but nice. Actually, the only thing that bothered me about her was the hue of her hair, the color I now and forever loathe for all of eternity, _pink_.

As for the boy Uchiha Sasuke, I didn't know a lot about him since Ino hadn't mentioned him to me much, but what I _did_ know was that he was brooding and apparently very handsome, thus dubbing him the title as "the village heartthrob", or at least _former _heartthrob.

Next on the list was a wild boy named Inuzuka Kiba. Being in a clan associated with dogs, Kiba also had the facial characteristics of one: fangs, dog like eyes, and the sorts. He also has a white furred dog named Akamaru, which had to be the biggest dog I ever laid my eyes upon. Ino had told me that two and a half years ago, Akamaru was as small as a puppy. Now, two and a half years later, he grew about ten times the size. Now, back to Kiba, he tends to flirt with a lot of girls. He even flirted with _me _a little when Ino introduced me to him. I admit that he was kind of cute, but he just wasn't my type.

There was another member in Kiba's team, an enigma name Aburame Shino. To a person who didn't know him, he may seem suspicious, with the type of clothes he wears and the sunglasses he always wear to hide his eyes from the world. Ino had told me that the Aburame Clan was associated with bugs…which crept her out, by the way.

The only girl in Kiba's team was a girl by the name of Hyuuga Hinata. She was quiet, very timid, yet very sweet. She also had a crush on Naruto, but unfortunately, Naruto was too dense to realize it.

Hinata also had an older cousin named Hyuuga Neji. He was a pretty handsome guy, yet he was too cocky for his own good. I was told that his cockiness was unspeakable a few years ago. I didn't know much about him since I never spoke to him before.

Now, I'll talk about his teammates, Tenten and Rock Lee. Tenten was a fun and energetic girl, yet she could be very serious at a crucial moment. She was the only person on Neji's team that I've ever talked to at the time. She always complimented on my eyes and say they were pretty, but I simply told her that my eyes were really nothing to look at at all. And of course, there was Rock Lee to complete this team. He was kind of…creepy. Soup bowl hair cut, big bug eyes, and thick eyelashes. He was practically the doppelganger of Moe Howard from the Three Stooges. He might have not been so easy on the eyes, but from what I knew about him, he had a lot of determination and was a very kind person.

Now I'll discuss team Ino. Chouji and I had a mutual relationship. I would talk to him and have some barbeque with him if I came. He was a really good guy with a heart of gold. I even told Ino that she should go out with him, though she declined my suggestion. As for Shikamaru, well, he was a different story. He and I haven't talked since the incident at the bookstore. Even being in the same room with him was awkward for the both of us. Ino convinced that he would warm up to me eventually. I, of course, doubted it. Anyways, I should probably get back to the story, shouldn't I?

"Dammit…." I cursed to myself as I rested my fingertips on the keys of my keyboard. I stared at the screen of my laptop intently. "Why the hell am I getting a writer's block _now_…?" I groaned. "And just when I finally have some peace and quiet in this damn house…." I groaned once again as I grabbed hold of my messenger bag and shoved my laptop in it. "Maybe taking a walk around the village will inspire me a little…." I told myself.

* * *

"Thanks," I politely thanked as the woman at the counter handed me my coffee. I strolled around town for a bit until I came across a coffee shop. I grabbed my coffee and headed towards a table. I set the cup to the side as I took out my laptop and placed it right in front of me. _This place reminds me of Starbucks_, I thought I looked around at the semi familiar surroundings. I took a sip of my coffee and started typing away, for I finally rid myself of the writer's block. _I admit that it's nice that I finally got rid of my writer's block, but still, it wasn't enough…. _I thought as I stopped typing for a bit to take another sip of my coffee, but then proceeded with my work. _I_ _still yet to figure out where this story's going and….I don't know….I need to find…my **inspiration**…. _

"HIYA, DANI!!" a familiar voice chirped from behind me. Since the greeting was so ear-splittingly loud and obnoxious, I was taken by surprise and fell off the chair.

"Naruto…." I growled as I glared up at the innocent, grinning face of the blond. "What the heck are _you _doing here?"

"I was just walking around the village and then I found you in here and so I wanted to say 'hi!" he grinningly replied. "Oh, here, let me help ya out." With that, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

"Thanks," I quietly uttered as I sat back down and continued typing while drinking the rest of my coffee.

"Ooh, what cha typing, Dani?" he questioned me, hovering over me while gazing that the screen.

"Oh, it's just a story I've been working on for a while," I answered through my typing, my eyes never leaving from the screen.

"Can I read it someday?"

"Yeah, if I ever finish it."

"Aw, how come you don't think you'll finish it?"

"Because I have no idea what the plotline of the story's gonna be."

"Well, you better finish this story soon so I could read it!" he demanded.

I merely chuckled at his demand. "I'll see what I can do…."

Suddenly, I felt Naruto giving me a tight playful hug. "Yay! Well, I gotta go train now, so I'll talk to ya later, Dani!"

"Okay, bye, bye," I smiled as I watched him leave the coffee shop. "What a nice kid," I chuckled as I typed the last sentence of the paragraph and closed the laptop. "I'm gonna go wander around a bit more…." I uttered to myself as I stood up. "I need some fresh air." With that said, I placed my laptop in my bag, grabbed the empty cup, threw it in the garbage, and headed out the door.

I wasn't striving to go to a particular destination, so I decided to wander aimlessly around the village. I wandered around the streets and went from shop to shop, even though I didn't purchase anything, and I even gone so far as to walk into that horrid clothing store I went with Ino last month. Pretty pathetic, no? Not long after, I had grown bored stiff of the village, so I decided to wander around the forest for a while. What intention did I have for doing this, you ask? There was no intention; it was just something to do since I was so bored with myself. "Well, this is getting boring…." I muttered as I continued to wander around the forest. "At least I'm getting some fresh air…and it's good exercise, too…."

Throughout my little expedition, I felt a presence lurking about. I rapidly turned my head around, but only to find nothing. "Huh. Must be my imagination…." I assumed as I started walking again. Just the, I again felt a presence prowling behind me. I just ignored it. _Calm down, Dani, don't let your paranoia get the best of ya…. _I thought. _It's probably just a mouse scurrying about. There's no need to be afraid…no way— _

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when I felt something cold lightly touching the side of my neck. Slowly and cautiously, without moving my head, I shifted my eyes towards the mysterious object. My blood ran cold. What I saw was a gloved hand gripping onto one of those ninja knives…I believe it was called a "kunai". As I opened my mouth to scream, the stranger's other hand rapidly cover my mouth. "You stay quiet," he commanded, "I ain't gonna hurt ya."

I struggled to worm out of the stranger's grasp. Without warning, I opened my mouth and bit down on the stranger's hand. He yelped in pain as he violently thrust me to the ground. Without hesitation, I scrambled to my feet and started to run away, but the man forcefully chucked two kunais towards me. As a result, they struck me on my left arm and right leg. I collapsed to the ground as I covered my blood-drenched arm. My eyes started to dilate at the sight of the blood. I started to become lightheaded. _I can't stand…the sight of blood…. _I thought as I turned my head away from the blood, but the thought of it still ran in my mind. _I think I'm going to be sick….Just don't think about Dani…you can do it…! _

"Dammit….That little whore bit me hard…." I heard the man curse as he examined the bloody teeth marks on his hand. He shifted his gaze from his hand towards me and scolded with hatred. Just when the man was slowly walking towards me, he suddenly stopped. By the look on his face, he didn't stop intentionally….He was…_paralyzed_. "Wha-what the—? I c-can't move…!" the man realized in shock.

_Wha-what's going on…? _I thought just as shocked as the man. I then looked down at his feet only to find a long shadow behind him. My eyes followed the mysterious shadow to its source. I was freaked when I saw the person behind the man….Shikamaru. "I-it's _you_!" I gasped.

Shikamaru merely sighed as a bored expression appeared on his face. "Pipe down and let me save you, all right…?" he groaned as he rummaged through his pocket for something.

"H-hey! Wh-who are you and why can't I move!" the man hollered, still motionless.

Shikamaru didn't answer the man but did a hand sign, which had caused the shadow to disappear. Before the man could even speak, Shikamaru threw a tranquilizing dart towards the man and nailed him on the back of the neck. Before long, the man collapsed to the ground unconscious. "I-is he _dead_?" I asked, staring at the body.

"Nah. He's just out cold," Shikamaru answered as he approached me and crouched down in front of me. "Hey…you're bleeding," he told me, noticing blood dripping from my arm and leg.

I shut my eyes tight and turned away. "I-I know…."

"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you closing your eyes?" he questioned me. With my eyes still shut, I felt him resting his hand on my shoulder. "Dani…?"

I suddenly opened my eyes to face him. _He said my name…. _I thought. _He never said my name before…. _"I'm squeamish, Shikamaru. I can't stand the sight of blood," I replied.

"I see…." he muttered as he stood up and held his hand out towards me. "Can you stand?"

I looked at his hand. "I'll try…." I answered as I took his hand and felt him pull me up. "But…." I started, forcing myself to look at my wounded leg. "I don't think I can walk and—Wha-wha—hey!" I stammered as he placed my arm around his shoulder and his around my waist.

"What? I'm just trying to help you walk," he sighed.

"Huh…?" I began, blinking a few times. "Really?"

"Yeah…unless you want to try walking on your own. We'll walk really slow, okay?"

"Um, okay….Shikamaru?"

"Hm?"

I stared at him for a bit, but then turned my head away shyly. "Th-thank you…."

He looked at me. "Don't mention it…."

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 4, folks. Forgive me, for I have not yet decided what chapter 5 was going to be about, so no preview...Don't hurt me! Anyhoo, the next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. I'll do my best to update quicker in my stories. Well, read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	5. Ino: The Cupid from Oblivion

Chapter 5

Ino: The Cupid from Oblivion

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(A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry it took so long to update this story! I've been busy. Well, I finally have the chapter up! Hope you all like it!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 4..._**

**Wolf Demon Kunoichi13: **Thank you! Sorry it took so long to me to update this story! Hope you like the chapter!

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Yep! I wanted to put some fluff into that chapter and so I did! -grins-

**muffinbootz: **Thanks! Hope you like this chapter!

**Neko-nee-chan: **Thank you! And thanks for pointing out the whole real world and Dani's parents thing, and so I decided to squeeze a little part of that in this chapter.

**Hara Michiyo: **Ha, ha. Yep, yep he does. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking wandering off in the woods all by yourself, Dani!" Ino scolded an hour after I returned home. About an hour after Shikamaru took me home, Ino came storming into the house and started badgering me. Apparently, Shikamaru told her what happened. 

"Shut up, Ino. Like the man was going to rape me anyway…." I muttered as I stared at my bandaged wound.

"Hey, don't tell me to shut up! You're lucky that Shikamaru found you, or else your ass would've been _dead_ by now!" she glared at me for a bit. But then her cold stare gradually soften as tears welled up in her eyes. "I was so worried!" she cried as she threw her arms around me.

"Ino…." I whispered softly as I felt her trembling while I sat there motionless.

"You're my friend and I don't want anything happening to you…." she sobbed. "Are you really okay, Dani?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…." I assured. I felt really guilty. I didn't even realize how much I worried her. It was nice to have someone besides my family that care so much for my well-being. "Um, Ino, when you go training tomorrow…."

She pulled away from the hug and looked at me. "Yeah?"

"Um…could you…tell Shikamaru I said 'thanks again'?"

Ino blinked at my request. "Dani? Are you okay?"

I gaped at her in confusion. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Well, it doesn't seem like you to thank someone," she replied.

I didn't answer right away. I shifted my stare away from her and gazed out the window. "He saved my life, Ino…." I told her. "So of course I'm going to be grateful….Shikamaru's…an okay guy. At first, I thought he was a jackass, but now…." I glanced back towards her with a light smile. "He's okay."

Ino gaped at me for a moment, but then a warm smile graced her lips. "Yeah, he is," she agreed, "once you get to know him better. Well, I'm heading off to bed. Night, Dani." She gave me a quick hug as she walked out of my room.

* * *

(Ino's point of view (for once)) 

Once I stepped into my room, I shut the door and leaned against it. "Wow…Dani's actually grateful that Shikamaru saved her," I uttered under my breath in amazement. "And I can't believe Shikamaru of all people would go through the trouble to save her." Suddenly, a crazy idea popped into my head. "Wait a tick…." I continued. "Those two….They might just get along with each other after all…and they have so much in common….Shikamaru…and Dani…_together_…?" Just then, a mischievous smirked appeared on my lips. "Perfect. Time to put my matchmaking skills to use. Hm…but I need some help on this one. Dani doesn't really seem interested, and Shikamaru wouldn't think about asking a girl out….Hm…I need _him _to whip Shikamaru into shape…."

_The next day…._

"_What_?" Chouji questioned me startled. The next day after training, I told Chouji my plan to make Shikamaru and Dani a couple. By the look on his face, I could tell that he thought my plan was crazy.

"Yeah! I think they'll make a great couple!" I chirped in excitement. "Don't you just see the chemistry between them?"

Chouji gave me a look. "You're crazy…." he muttered.

"Crazy? Ha! I'm great when it comes to matchmaking!" I boasted. "I mean, I made Kenji and Suki a couple!"

"And look how it turned out," Chouji reminded, "Kenji ended up cheating on Suki with that slut Mana and for revenge, Suki slept with Kenji's brother, who was dating Mana, and got pregnant by him. Kenji got pissed so he started a fight with his brother and almost killed him, so he got sent to jail. Face it, Ino. Your matchmaking skills suck."

I growled under my breath remembering how _that _couple turned out. "Well, I've got a good feeling about these two!" I convinced.

"How so?" he questioned me. "Shikamaru thinks girls are troublesome and wants nothing to do with them and Dani doesn't seem interested. And I don't think they seem very compatible. Dani strives to make something of herself while Shikamaru doesn't seem to care. I'm sorry, Ino, but I don't think it's going to work out between those two. What makes _this_ case so special?"

"Whaddaya mean they're not compatible!" I argued. "They're both super smart and let me remind you that Shikamaru actually saved Dani's butt…_twice_!"

"Why the heck are you so determined to get these two together?" he wondered. "You didn't make such a big deal out of it with Kenji and Suki and along with other people."

"Well, don't you want your best friend to have a girlfriend?" I asked him.

"Well, yeah, if he's interested," he nodded. "But with _Dani_?"

"Why not? I think she's _perfect_ for him," I predicted. "And besides, I _want _Dani to open her heart to someone, and I think that someone is Shikamaru."

"You really think this is going to work?"

"Yes! I have a good feeling about this! So will you help?"

Chouji let out a heavy sigh. "What am I supposed to do?"

"All you have to do is ask him some questions, like what type of girl does he like and stuff. I'll do the same thing with Dani. Oh! I almost forgot!" I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out a cell phone. "Catch," I said as I tossed the cell phone towards Chouji.

He caught the phone and examined it. "Huh? Why're you giving me a cell phone?"

I grinned cutely as I held up my cell phone. "It's to keep in contact with each other," I replied. "Once you get the dirt on Shikamaru, call me so I could jot down some notes."

"And vice versa, right?" he assumed.

"Exactly!" I beamed. I raised my fist in the air. "Now let's make the magic happen!"

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Ino, you didn't have to take me out to lunch _and _pay for my food," I told Ino as I poured some soy sauce on my white rice. A little while earlier, I was at the coffee shop while typing more of my unnamed story and as I walked out, Ino caught up to me and invited me to lunch. Knowing that she was treating me, I had a feeling she was up to something.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Dani," Ino beamed happily, grinning at me. "I mean, after all now, what are friends for?"

I stared at her as I slowly place the soy sauce bottle on the side. "Right…." I uttered. She definitely _was_ up to something.

"Hey, Dani, can I ask you something?" she started as I took a bite out of my swordfish teriyaki (A/N: Mm…swordfish teriyaki's good. I would definitely recommend it).

…_I knew this was coming…. _I thought in frustration. "What?"

"What kind of guys would you go for?" she brought up.

I blinked at her question. "Eh? That's all?"

"Um, yeah. So…what kind of guy do you go for?"

I thought for a moment. As soon as my mind was made up, I gazed out the window. "I want…to be with a guy who'll understand me." I didn't hear her reply, so I continued. "I don't want him to care about my appearance, but rather my personality. I want him to accept me for who I am. I want him to do anything to protect me from getting hurt, both physically and emotionally. I want him to hold me when I'm sad or scared and I want him to be there for me through thick and thin." I paused for a moment and let out a sad smile. "I want…him to love me…just as much as I would love him."

I glanced back towards Ino, who had a look of…sympathy. "So…." she started. "You want a Prince Charming?"

"Well, not a Prince Charming per say, but at least someone with those qualities," I replied. I then let out a small laugh to myself as I looked down. "But who am I kidding, right? In this generation, there is no such thing as a guy like that…."

"Dani…." Ino sighed as she let out a small sad smile. "Don't worry, Dani. I'm sure you'll find someone like that."

I let out a small, inaudible gasp as I looked up at her. A small smile graced my lips. "Thank you, Ino…."

She laughed a little. "Hey, what are friends for…?"

* * *

(Ino's point of view) 

"Dammit!" I cursed to myself behind the restaurant building. A little while ago, Dani and I finished eating and she decided to go home. "She wants a guy like _that_! There's no way in _hell _Shikamaru would _ever _pull that off!" I snarled. "There's no way he'll ever unleash that personality in him…!" I sighed after my little rant. "I guess I have to wait and hear Chouji's results." After that was said, my cell phone rang. "Oh! That must be him!" I gasped as I answered it. "Chouji, can you hear me?"

"Yep! Loud and clear!" he replied through the other line.

"Great! So how did it go?" I asked him. "Did you get the dirt?"

"Well, not really," he sighed. "I asked him what kind of girl he would go for, and all he did was look at me blankly and say, 'Girls are troublesome'."

I growled at this. "Damn! I should've known that was coming!"

"And Dani?" he brought up.

"Don't get me started on _that_ one…." I told him. "She goes for the Prince Charming type of guys."

"So, what are we gonna do?" he wondered.

"I don't know…." I groaned in aggravation, feeling helpless. "I wish there was some way to get Shikamaru to ask Dani on a date so that they could get to know each other a lot better…." Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I let out a small, wicked smile. "Chouji, I've got an idea," I sniggered.

"Really? What is it?" he wondered.

"What do you think…of bribery?"

* * *

"Huh? Where the hell are my—? Ino…." Shikamaru growled as I grinningly shook his cigarette box in my hand. I found Shikamaru sleeping on the grass as usual and snatched his precious cigarettes. "Give them back…." he snarled, growing impatient. 

"Oh, I'll give them back, alright, but only on one condition," I told him, pointing my index finger up.

"Oh, great, whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be troublesome…." he assumed.

"Eh, not really. All you have to do is take Dani to the Sakura Festival Saturday night," I bribed.

He let out a loud groan. "I knew it. This is going to be troublesome."

"Hey! What the heck's wrong with Dani, anyway!" I argued, wondering what could be so wrong with taking Dani to the festival.

"Because she's a girl, and girls are troublesome…." he answered. "But if I take her to the festival, will you give my cigarettes back?"

"Yeah, so do we have a deal?"

"Fine. Damn, this is so troublesome."

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Shikamaru _what_?" I questioned Ino in disbelief as I stopped typing and looked up at her.

"Shikamaru's gonna take you to the Sakura Festival this Saturday," she repeated, grinning a little.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked her, cocking up an eyebrow. "I'm going on a _date _with him?"

"Well, it's not exactly a date per say," she told me. "You guys are going as friends. _Just _friends."

"Well…." I began as I looked down. I was both confused _and_ a little scared. If it was really intended as a date, I wouldn't know what to do, for I never went on a date before in my life. I merely shrugged. "Fine, I guess, but I need to get a kimono…."

"You'll go with him? Great!" she chirped happily as she started to skip out of the room. "And don't you worry about getting a kimono either 'cause I've got it _all _taken care of!"

"Whatever…." I sighed as I continued typing my story. "Hm…I wonder how my parents are doing without me? I wonder if they miss me…?"

_A short scene in the real world downtown and in normal point of view…._

(Normal point of view)

"Okay, Roger, quit playing games and tell us what happened to Daniela," Mr. Shields commanded, glaring at the boy. For over a month, Mr. and Mrs. Shields had to suffer not knowing where their daughter was. Roger told them what happened to her, but they didn't believe him.

"I swear, Mr. Shields, Dani got sucked into one of the computers in the school library!" Roger convinced, though he knew that they weren't going to believe him right away.

"Are you on pot _again_, Roger! How in the world would Dani get sucked into a computer!" Mrs. Shields snapped.

"I don't know, but I'm being totally serious!" Roger hollered. "I know it sounds really bizarre, but it really happened, honest!"

"Maybe she ran away…." Mrs. Shields assumed sadly.

"Honey, I honestly doubt that," Mr. Shields told her. "Dani wouldn't have any reason to run away….Wait a minute…."

"What is it?" his wife questioned him.

"Dani brings her laptop everywhere she goes. So all we have to do is email her!"

"Brilliant idea, honey! Come on, we should email her right now!" With that, Mr. and Mrs. Shields hurried their way home.

Roger shook his head as he looked up at the sky. "That is if she's still alive…." he muttered.

**(A/N: And that's it, guys! Chapter 5! And now for a short preview of chapter 6: Ino and Dani go on a double date with Shikamaru and Chouji. Will Shikamaru and Dani actually have a good time together? Find out next time! The next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. Read and review everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	6. Sakura Festival

Chapter 6

Sakura Festival

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(A/N: Hi, guys. Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. Well, I'm finally done with it... and it may be the longest chapter I have in this story so far! Woot! Well, enjoy!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 5..._**

**Wolf Demon Kunoichi13: **Yep, they're going on a date. Here's your update. Hope you like it.

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you! Yeah, it had been a while since I used Roger in this story. Well, I hope you like this chapter!

(A/N: Aw...I only have two reviews...? Well, I hope I get more for this chapter...)

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"So…tonight's the night…." I muttered to myself as I paced around the living room one afternoon. The date was Saturday and the same date as the Sakura Festival that was occurring that night…which meant a "double date" with team ten and me. "This sucks…." I growled as I plopped onto the couch. "Ino claims that I'm not going on a date with Shikamaru, and yet, I feel as though she is lying her butt off. What the hell am I going to do? I've never been on a…." I gulped. "_date _before….Man, I hope this is just intended as a get together and not a date…."

"Oh, Dani! Dani!" a loud, sing songy voice chirped through the sound of the front door slamming shut. I turned my head and found Ino prancing into the room with two bags of clothing. "Hey, Dani! I finally got your kimono!" she beamed. "You're gonna _love _it!"

I gave her a blank stare. "Really…." I uttered unenthusiastically.

"It's not pink or frilly or anything, so shut up…." Ino assured, returning my stare. She then abruptly grabbed my arm and hauled me up from the couch. "Now, come on! I want you to try it on!" she declared, dragging me upstairs to my bedroom. She shoved one of the bags in my arms and pushed me into the room.

"H-hey!" I barked, a bit steamed with her pushing me.

All Ino did was grin and waved. "I'll be waiting out here. Hope you like it," she chirped in a sing songy voice as she slammed the door shut.

I glared at the door a bit, but then shifted my gaze towards the bag. "Well, I might as well…." I uttered. I placed the bag on my bed and pulled out the kimono, expecting the worse. What I had just revealed from the bag wasn't "the worse", but rather…really stunning.

It was a slim, silky, Chinese-like burgundy dress that would reach a little below my knees, with two slits on each side of the dress that would reach to my upper thigh. It had long, kimono-like sleeves with small black laces along the edge of them. The dress was truly beautiful, but how exactly did Ino expect that something like that would be suited for someone like me?

I merely shrugged as I started taking off my clothes. "Ah, well. It can't be helped…." I muttered as I started to try on the dress. To my surprise, the dress was absolutely…perfect on me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a bit. I believed that with a little make up and all, I would actually be a decent looking person. I sighed forcefully as I grasped onto the doorknob. "Hm…I wonder what Ino would think of this dress on me…?" I wondered as I turned the knob. As I opened the door and stepped out of the room, I heard a loud squeal from behind me.

"Kyaa! Oh, Dani, look at you! That dress is _perfect _on you!" Ino squealed in delight. "Now all I gotta do is help you with your hair and make up and you would be the prettiest girl at the festival!"

I blinked at her response. "You honestly think I'm pretty?" I asked her.

"Of course you are!" she proclaimed. "You have a cute little figure, a pretty looking face, and such pretty eyes! It's just a matter of you being confident of yourself!"

In a way, Ino _did _have a point. I didn't think I was very attractive, and yet, I've had some people compliment me on my appearance, though none were from guys. The only people that insult me based on my appearance were a couple of jerks back at school and the fake looking popular girls who think they were better than everyone else. I was just…average. I was average and they didn't like it; they didn't like it at all. "Um…thanks," I thanked her.

"Hee, hee! No problem!" Ino beamed as she patted my shoulder.

_Later that day…._

"Oh, Dani, look at you! You're gorgeous!" Ino proclaimed happily after finishing my hair and make up. I peered into the mirror and was stunned with how good a job she did. I had my hair tied up in a small terra twist, since my hair was so short, and it was done so with a very large hairclip. She didn't apply too much make up on me, but then again, she didn't put too little. I was wearing a light amount of red eye shadow, hardly noticeable, mascara, and a light amount of blush. I _was _going to wear some lipstick, but it was then determined that ordinary lip-gloss would be better suited.

I gazed at my reflection amazed. "W-wow…." I started breathlessly.

"Hee, hee! Aren't I a natural or what! Man, I could really use these skills as a profession!" Ino boasted grinningly. She was clad in a similar kimono as mine except hers was purple, a little shorter, and had no sleeves. She had more make up on her face than me, but at least it wasn't caked on to make her look fake.

I glanced over to her. "Hey, Ino, you never told me who _you _were going with," I told her.

"Huh? Oh, I'm going with Chouji," Ino replied simply.

"What? Really? You guys are going out?" I wondered.

Ino gaped at me with shock written all over her face. "_Me_ with _Chouji_? Never!" she exclaimed. "We're going as friends! _Just _friends!"

"Why not…? He's a nice guy," I shrugged.

"Then _you _date him…." Ino glared.

"Erm, no. I only feel a friendship vibe around him," I responded.

Just then, a cheeky smirked formed her lips. "Hm…and what about Shikamaru?" she suddenly brought up.

"Eh? What _about_ him?" I wondered in confusion.

"Heh, heh, do you feel anything when you're around him?"

"Well, no, I—Hey, wait a second…."

"Hm? What is it, Dani?" I twirled around to face her.

"This really _is _a date, isn't it?" I assumed, glaring at her fiercely.

"Wha-wha-what? N-n-no, of course it isn't, Dani, honest!" Ino stammered nervously, holding her hands up defensively.

She didn't sound at all convincing, so I decided to shrug the entire conflict off. "So," I started, placing my hands on the back of my head, "are they coming here or not?"

"Nope, we're meeting them there," Ino answered. "Come on, let's get going."

_At the festival…._

"Wow…." I uttered in amazement as I gazed at the beauty of the village at nightfall. The village square had many booths set up, and strings of bright lights lit up the entire village, but the stars were still viewable.

"Yeah, it's really nice here during the festival," Ino told me, waiting impatiently for our "dates".

"Hey," I began, taking my eyes off the beauty of the village to look at her, "when are Chouji and Shikamaru coming, anyway?" I wondered.

"Er, they'll be here," Ino assure. "At least, I hope they do. See, Shikamaru sucks at remembering things."

"Oh, I see…." I uttered monotonously.

"Oh, there you guys are! We've been looking all over for you!" a familiar voice hollered from a distance. We turned around and found our dates heading towards us, Chouji waving happily to us and Shikamaru remained expressionless. They were both wearing yukatas; Chouji's was dark blue and Shikamaru's was a faded green. What surprised me a bit was that Shikamaru actually had his hair down and not in that usual ponytail. He actually looked, dare I say it, better?

Ino groaned in frustration as she rested her hands on her hips. "There you are. What took you guys so long?"

Chouji merely chuckled as he patted Shikamaru on that back. "Shikamaru forgot at the last minute," he sniggered. He then shifted his gaze towards me and gaped at me stunned. "Wow! Is that _you_, Dani!" he proclaimed in amazement. "You look great!"

"Erm, thanks…." I replied sheepishly, scratching my head.

"Hey! Back off, Chouji! She's _Shikamaru's_ date, remember!" Ino barked, frowning disapprovingly. She glanced over to Shikamaru. "Doesn't Dani look pretty, Shikamaru?" she questioned him, grinning and all.

He didn't respond right away, he blinked at me a few times, and then looked back towards Ino and answered simply, "Who cares? Let's just get this date over with. So troublesome…."

At that moment, I could've sworn I saw steamed coming out of Ino's ears. "Gr…! You jerk!" she snapped, grabbing Shikamaru by the collar of his yukata and violently shaking him. "Why aren't you nice to Dani, huh! She did nothing to you and—! Gr…!"

"Okay, cool it, Ino," I sternly uttered as I pulled her away from him. "We're here to have 'fun', remember?"

Ino merely groaned in frustration at this. "You're right," she nodded. "Well, Chouji and I will leave you two alone, so ta-ta!" With that said, she and Chouji scurried off, leave Shikamaru and me standing there in complete and utter confusion.

"Eh, what was _that _about…?" Shikamaru questioned me in confusion.

"To be completely honest with you, I haven't the slightest idea…." I shrugged, confused as well.

"Huh…how troublesome…." I heard him utter in annoyance. At that moment, I felt him grab my hand.

"Huh—? He-hey! What are you—?" I started, startled with him grabbing my hand.

"Come on, let's get this over with…." he muttered as he pulled me to the nearest booth.

* * *

(Ino's point if view) 

"Hee, hee! This is so perfect! I'm telling you, Chouji, those two are _destined _to be together!" I beamed after the two of us left Dani and Shikamaru alone.

"Erm, I don't know, Ino. I don't think they're really interested in each other…." Chouji doubted.

"Psh! What do _you_ know!" I scoffed. "They'll warm up to each other _eventually_!"

"But you said yourself that the type of guy Dani would be interested in doesn't sound like Shikamaru."

"That's why there are two options to solve this little problem. One thing is that Dani may change her taste in men and the other thing is that Shikamaru could change."

"I don't think the second option will work. The first one _might _work…I think…."

I merely shook my head in pity at this. "Oh, Chouji, you're such a pessimist…." I told him. "Can't you just have faith in me for once?"

"Um, I can try…."

"Good, now c'mon, let's get something to eat."

Chouji's eyes lit up at this. "Yahoo! Let's go!"

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"So, let me get this straight. During this hour, there's gonna be fireworks?" I questioned Shikamaru as the two of us sat at the summit of a hill. During the festival, we strolled around the village going from booth to booth. Surprisingly enough, we didn't exchange any arguments the whole time we had been together.

"Yeah," he answered, staring at the stars. "It should start in a few minutes." He then looked over to the messenger bag hanging on my shoulder. "Er, why'd you bring your bag?"

"Huh?" I started as I looked over at my bag. "Oh, I just brought my laptop just in case. But it turns out that I don't really need it tonight."

"Well, can I see it anyway?" he asked.

"Um, sure," I replied as I pulled out my laptop and handed it to him. "So are you enjoying yourself so far?" I wondered as I watched him go through my laptop.

"Actually, it's not so bad," he admitted. At that moment, he jerked his head back a bit. "Whoa…."

"Hm? What is it?" I questioned, scooting closer to him to take a peek at the laptop screen. It was then when I realized that Shikamaru had opened to my story file. "Oh, that's just my story that I'm writing."

He gave me a look. "You write _stories_?" he asked. "That sounds like such a hassle…."

"Well, it's something that I enjoy, so it isn't a hassle to me," I shrugged.

It was his turn to shrug. "Whatever. To me, it seems like such a hassle." He skimmed through my story. "Are you done with it?"

"Nah. I'm kinda stuck at this one part," I told him. "See, this story's basically about this girl named Ashe who wants to be noticed. In a way, it's kinda like an autobiography except I changed her name and slightly changed her personality from mine."

"You…want to be noticed?" he wondered.

I stared down at the grass. "Yeah," I replied quietly. "See, back home, not a lot of people know who I am. I don't have many friends, and even the people who claim to be my friends really aren't. They…ignore me on a regular basis. I don't want to be "popular", but I want to be noticed for something meaningful."

Shikamaru didn't respond to my anecdote right away. "Well," he started, "Ino's your friend, isn't she?"

I shifted my gaze over to him. "Yeah, what of it?"

"At least you've got _one_ true friend. Ino's really good to you. And besides, why would you even want any attention? It's too troublesome…."

I giggled at his comment. "I guess in a way, it could be," I agreed.

He smiled slightly as he closed the laptop. "Here, you want this back?" he asked as he handed the laptop to me.

I returned his small smile as I took the laptop and tucked it in my bag. "Thanks." As I tucked the laptop in my bag, I felt Shikamaru tapping my shoulder.

"Hey, Dani, look," he started, point to the sky.

I looked up and realized that the fireworks had started. I kept my gaze at the sky, mesmerized by the colorful lights that lit up the night sky. "Pretty…." I sighed dreamily, trembling from the chilled wind.

Shikamaru turned to me and noticed me trembling. "Hey, you okay, Dani?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little cold, is all…." I told him as I hugged myself to keep warm. I heard him sigh heavily as he stood up. I ignored this and continued watching the fireworks. Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me. I rapidly turned my head and found Shikamaru sitting behind me. "Wha-what are you doing?" I stammered, blushing slightly.

His face remained neutral. "I'm trying to warm you up," he answered simply, "unless, of course, you _want _to freeze your butt off."

"O-oh…." I uttered. "Thank you…."

We continued sitting there beneath the flashing, multihued fireworks that captivated every spectator in the festival. "Um, Dani?" he started, holding me tighter.

"Y-yeah?" I asked, looking back at him.

He turned his head from me, his cheeks slightly tinted pink. "Um…you look really nice tonight…."

I turned my head away from him, attempting to hide my blush from him. "Erm…thank you…."

_Later…._

"So…did you have a good time, Dani?" Shikamaru asked me, his hand holding mine. After the fireworks ended, Shikamaru decided to take me home. I was walking beside him, scraping my feet on the concrete beneath me.

I stared at the stars. "Yeah, I did," I replied. I looked back while walking. "I wonder if Ino made it back yet…?"

"Eh, probably not…." Shikamaru shrugged. "You know how she is…."

"Yeah…." We finally arrived at Ino's. I turned to him and smiled slightly. "Um…I just want to say thanks…." I timidly replied. "I know you probably didn't want to come anyway, but I'm glad that you did…."

He sighed at this and slightly returned my smile. "You're right," he responded, "I didn't want to come at the first place. I thought it was just too troublesome…but…it was worth it, I guess…."

I smiled at him softly. I then looked down at our hands. "Erm…you can let go of my hand, now…." I told him.

When Shikamaru realized that our hands were still intertwined, he quickly let go. "Um, sorry," he apologized.

"That's okay," I giggled. "So, I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, goodnight, Dani," he said as he started to walk off.

"Goodnight," I answered as I walked into the empty house. I went upstairs to my bedroom and sat on my bed. I opened my laptop and checked to see if I had any mail. To my surprise, I found that I had received an email…from my parents. I opened up the email and read it:

_Daniela, this is your mother and father. Where in the world are you? We miss you so much! Did you run away? If you did, why didn't you come to us if you had a problem? Running away from your troubles isn't the answer. Roger told us this ridiculous story that you were in the school library trying to fix a computer for him and apparently, you got "sucked into the computer". Pure nonsense, wouldn't you say? Please come home, Daniela. We miss you and we love you._

_Love, _

_Mom and Dad_

I didn't say anything about this letter. I clicked onto "Reply" and typed in their email address. I pulled out a camera from my bag and took a picture of myself. While I processed with putting my picture in the email, I type a three-word response to the letter. As soon as the picture was uploaded on the email, I sent it….

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 6! Now I haven't the slightest idea of what the next chapter is gonna be about. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to think on it. The next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. Please, please, please, read and review!) **

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	7. Cloud Watching is Nice

Chapter 7

Cloud Watching is Nice

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(A/N: Hello, everyone. I've finally updated this story! And it's about time, too. Anyways, here's a short note: towards the end of this chapter are the lyrics of the first part of the song _As Long As You're Mine _from the broadway show _Wicked_. I hope you enjoy this chapter!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 6..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you! I'm glad you liked that little scene. Prepare for some more fuff! Ha, ha. And you'll find out what Dani wrote in this chapter.

**Hana No Chi:** Thankies! And yes, I get that little joke, too. Ha, ha.

(A/N: Aw, only two reviews again. Please review more! Please! -puppy dog eyes-

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Wow, at last, I'm finally able to type more in my story without having a writer's block," I sighed in relief as I typed the last sentence on the chapter I had been working on all morning. My time at the festival the other night had given me inspiration, especially Shikamaru, who inspired me to create a new character in the story: a lazy boy named Kevin. Sure, the name sounded a bit lame, but it was the character that counted. After typing a period at the end of the sentence, I closed my laptop. "Well, that's all for now…." I uttered as I placed my laptop in my bag and headed downstairs. "Hey, Ino, you down here?" I called as I entered the kitchen. The blond was nowhere to be found. "Hm…I wonder where she went…?" I wondered. I glanced over to the refrigerator and found a little note placed on the refrigerator door with a magnet. "Huh?" I uttered as I grabbed the note and read it….

_Dani,_

_I went to the flower shop. I really didn't want to get up this morning, but what choice did I have? Anyhoo, I'll be back before sunset. Don't miss me too much!_

_-Ino_

"Hm, it sucks to be you…." I muttered as I placed the note on the table. "I'm glad _I _didn't have to wake up this morning…." I merely shrugged to myself as I walked out of the house. "Hm…what should I do now…." I wondered as I wandered throughout the village. The chattering from the villagers was started to annoy me. _Hm…I've got it. I could go to the_ _meadows. I'll get some peace and quiet and maybe I could start the next chapter of my story, _I thought. With that, I made my way out of the village and to the meadows. The light breeze that made my hair dance led my way to the hilltop of the fields. As I reached to the hilltop, I sat down and pulled out my laptop. "And now…." I uttered as I pulled out my laptop. "It's time to get some work done…." Before I was able to commence with getting any typing done, a felt a tap on my shoulder, which had caused me to jump from where I was sitting and tumbled down the hill, leaving my laptop on the summit. I glanced up from the bottom of the hill and found Shikamaru standing there giving me an odd look.

"Erm…you okay?" he asked with a hint of boredom in his voice.

"Er, yeah, I'm fine…." I managed to utter, scratching my head and slowly standing up. "Anyways, what the heck are _you _doing here?" I questioned him as I made my way up the summit again.

"I was about to ask _you _that," he told me as he watched me climb up the hill.

"I asked _you _first," I replied.

"Well, if you _must_ know, I always come up here to watch the clouds," he answered.

"Really…?" I uttered tediously as I sat down on the hilltop and grabbed my laptop. "Well, the only reason why _I'm _here is because I was bored and wanted some peace and quiet somewhere besides at Ino's."

"Ah, I see," he nodded, sitting down beside me as he quietly stared at the clouds. There was an awkward moment of silence between the two of us. He was completely silent as was I, who was typing away casually. "Hey," he suddenly uttered.

"Uh, yeah?" I asked as I stopped typing.

"Could you stop typing? The troublesome noise is pissing me off…."

I glared at him. "Shut up. If you don't like it, then why don't you just leave?"

He returned my glare. "No, why don't _you_?"

"I was here first…."

"Well, _I _come here all the time to watch the clouds, so therefore, _I _have the right to stay here." He sighed heavily as he pulled out a cigarette box and lighter from his pocket.

I glanced back at him. "Dude, what's with you and those cancer sticks, huh?" I asked him as I watched him light a cigarette.

Before answering, he inhaled a bit, and then exhaled smoke. "What do _you _care?" he wondered in a bored tone.

"Because it's not good for you," I stated. "You can get lung cancer and shit."

He stayed silent. "Asuma used to smoke all the time…." he started.

"Huh? Who's Asuma?" I wondered.

"He was my sensei," he answered. "He…got killed…."

I froze at this. I finally understood. "I'm…I'm sorry…." I apologized in sympathy.

He then turned to me and smiled slightly. "Eh, I'm fine," he shrugged. "But thanks for your sympathy, I guess."

"It's no problem," I told him, returning his smile. Then, my smiled faded. "But seriously, Shikamaru, you should really cut down on the smoking," I advised.

"Tch. How troublesome…." he muttered. I merely shrugged this off as I started playing a game on my laptop. "Hey, what's that?" I heard him ask.

I turned my head and jump a little, for he had already scooted closer to me and stared at the computer screen. "Oh, this is just Mahjong," I told him.

He glanced over to me. "You play?" he questioned me startled.

"Yeah. I always play this game whenever I get bored. It's challenging, but I like challenges."

"Hm…can you play shogi on this thing?" he wondered.

"Eh? What's that?" I asked.

"Here, let me show you," he began, taking my laptop and started to search for the game. "Hm…found it…." he muttered. He turned the screen towards me and presented me the game.

"Oh, yeah, I must've seen this game before," I realized, recognizing the game.

"Wanna play me?"

_A little while later…._

"Dammit! You beat me again!" I cursed. For a little while, Shikamaru and I played each other in shogi. Of course, he kept winning every game. "Wow, you're really good at that game," I complimented as I closed my laptop.

"Eh, it's no big deal," he shrugged. "You're pretty good for a first timer."

"Thanks." We both went silent as we gazed at the clouds. I pulled my gaze away from the clouds and glanced over to Shikamaru. For some reason, I felt so…captivated by the calmness of his face. I didn't think I ever met a guy who was this calm or be easily enthralled by the littlest thing in life such as clouds. He seemed like the type of guy who you could turn to if you had a problem…who you could watch the sunrise or sunset with….

"Um, what are you looking at?" he wondered cocking up an eyebrow.

I jumped a little at this. I didn't even realize that I was staring at him for that long. I quickly looked away and shifted my gaze towards the clouds. "Erm…nothing…." Silence filled the atmosphere once again. "Hey," I started, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" I heard him asked.

I raised my arm up and pointed to one of the clouds. "That one looks like a dog."

He turned to me and gave me an odd look. "What the hell are you talking about?" he questioned. "It looks like just some regular old cloud."

"You don't have any imagination, do ya?" I asked him. I continued looking at the clouds. "And look, that one there looks like a camel."

He looked at the cloud, but then turned to me with a bored expression on his face. "No, it doesn't, Dani," he told me in the usual bored tone in his voice. "Since when did camels have two heads?" I gaped at him in disbelief. "What?" he wondered.

"You really _do _have an imagination, don't you?" I realized. "You actually proved me wrong by stating that that cloud didn't look like a camel at all."

"Yeah, so? All I said was that camels didn't have two heads."

I looked at the cloud again. "I could be a mutant camel…." I muttered. I heard him chuckle under his breath. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"You're weird," he chuckled, though he was trying to hold in his laughter. "A 'mutant camel', Dani?"

"Oh, yeah? Then what do _you _think it looks like, huh?" I argued.

He glanced over to the cloud. "Hm…it looks like a rabbit."

"A _rabbit_? How do you figure?"

"Well, the 'two heads' on your 'camel' look like rabbit ears to me, and the rest of it looks like its body."

"Yeah, sure, Shikamaru…." I continued gazing at the puffy white clouds, searching for yet another image.

"Hey, that one looks like two people playing shogi!" we both declared in unison, pointing to the cloud as our hands slightly brush up against each other's. We looked at each other for a moment, but then pulled our arms down and turned away. "Sorry…." we muttered.

I glanced over to him yet again. "Hey."

"Yeah?" he asked, still not looking at me.

"Can I play with your hair?" I asked in random.

He gave me an odd look. "You…_what_…?"

"I dunno. For some odd reason, I have this sudden urge to play with your hair."

"Erm, what are you—? Hey, hey!" Shikamaru gasped. He stared up at me, both startled and a bit flustered, for I had grabbed him and rested his head on my lap.

"Shut it, you lazy bum," I silenced as I untied his hair and began playing with it. "You could just look at the clouds. You like doing that, don't you?"

He growled under his breath, but then let out a heavy sigh. "Whatever. Fighting back is so troublesome…."

I giggled at his slothful comment as I continued playing with his hair. _What a bum…. _I thought with a smile plastered on my face.

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Man, how troublesome…." I muttered to myself as I strolled around the village, digging my fists in my pockets. A little while ago, my dad told me to give Ino a message, that Inoichi was going to be late coming home. I walked through the village at sunset. Most of the villagers were probably already at home. "I don't see why _I_ have to tell her. Troublesome…." I whined. I finally arrived to Ino's. I knocked onto the door a few times, but no one answered. I knocked onto it hard. Still no answer. "Dammit," I cursed to myself as I glanced upward to a window. "How troublesome. I guess I have no other choice…." I made my way towards a tree that was positioned next to the house and climbed it. I finally stopped climbing as soon as I was standing on a branch at the same level as the window. I peered through the window and found that I wasn't looking through Ino's room, but Dani's. "Oh, shit…." I cursed to myself quietly, preventing Dani, who was sitting on her bed, to hear me. "Wrong window…." And just when I was about to find a way to the next window over, I froze. I could've sworn I felt and heard my own heart beating faster…for I heard the most…enchanting sound….

_Kiss me too fiercely,_

_Hold me too tight,_

_I need help believing,_

_You're with me tonight…._

_Dani…? _I thought as I gaped at her, my body still frozen. I couldn't…believe what I was hearing. Dani…was _singing_?

_My wildest dreamings,_

_Could not foresee,_

_Lying beside you,_

_With you wanting me…._

Her voice….I've never heard anything so beautiful in my entire life. She had such control over it. It seemed that she had a very powerful voice, and yet, she still had enough control over it to make her voice sound softer and more pure. It couldn't be. Was it really Dani?

_Just for this moment,_

_As long as you're mine,_

_I've lost all resistance,_

_And crossed some borderline…._

At that moment, I had a warm feeling in my chest. It wasn't anything terrible. It was just…weird. I continued standing there while listening to her singing, still dazed by her…angelic voice.

_And if it turns out,_

_It's over to fast,_

_I'll make every last moment last…._

My body involuntarily towards the window. _What's wrong with me…?_ I thought. _Why am I acting all weird over some troublesome girl…? Dani…._ Suddenly, I lost my balance and struggled to stay on the branch.

_As long as you're mine…._

As much as I tried to remain on the branch, I failed to do so, and so, I came crashing down to the ground. "Gr…dammit…." I growled, rubbing my head. I assumed Dani heard the crash since she wasn't singing anymore. I quickly scurried behind the base of the tree and peek from behind it. Dani came to the window and searched around for the cause of the crash. After looking around for a moment, she merely shrugged as she shut the window.

* * *

"Ow, dammit…." I whined, still in pain, as I made my way home. "Why the hell was I acting so weird just now…?" I wondered. I raised my hand and placed it over my heart. "My heart's still racing….It's been like this ever since…that voice…I-I can't get it out of mind….Ugh! This is so troublesome! Once I get home, I'm going to sleep!" 

_The real world…._

(Normal point of view)

"Oh, honey! Honey, look!" Mrs. Shields exclaimed happily as she pointed to computer screen.

"What is it, Nancy?" Mr. Shields wondered, popping his head from behind the wall.

"Drew, look at this! Daniela replied to our email!" Mrs. Shields squealed excitedly. "She's all right! She's all right!"

As soon as he heard this, Mr. Shields quickly made his way to the room. "Did you open it yet?"

"No, I just logged onto the computer and here it is! I'll open it right now!" And so she did. As soon as she opened the email, the two froze at their spots. They gazed at each other in disbelief for a minute, but then turned back to the computer screen. This is what they saw: a picture of an anime girl that was a splitting image of their daughter in a kimono. Below the picture was a short message….

_Roger wasn't lying…._

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 7! Looks like Dani's parents are gonna have to apologize to Roger because he wasn't lying about where Dani was! Well, I actually thought of a preview for the next chapter while playing badminton in gym: Dani, Shikamaru, Chouji, Naruto, and Ino (Ino and Shikamaru were forced to while Dani invited Naruto) head for the arcade! And the gang discovers that Dani has a hidden talent: she's a pro at Dance Dance Revolution! But when a jealous DDR champ of the village notices this, he challenges Dani. Who will win? Anyways, it's just some random chapter, but I hope you guys will like it. The next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. Anyhoo, please read and review!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	8. Dani Shields: a DDR Champ?

Chapter 8

Dani Shields: a DDR Champ?

* * *

(A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back with the quick update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! I know this chapter may not be that good 'cause it's kind of a...filler. Please, go easy on me. Anyways, I really hope you like this chapter!) 

**_For those of you who had recently reviewed this story..._**

**xXUrbanRegalityXx: **_(For chapter 7)_Thank you! I'm glad that part made you laugh. Here's your update!

**Inu Youkai Yume: **_(For chapter 7) _Thanks! Woot, someone besides me that thinks Chouji and Ino should go out! And I'll be sure to read your story this weeked. I'm sure it's going to be great!

**SakuraXSasuke: **_(For chpater 3) _Thank you! Ha, ha, well, homework is kinda important, but it's flattering to hear that someone would rather read my stories than do their homework! Hope you like this chapter!

**CrazyNarutoFAN: **_(For chapter 2)_ Heh, heh...Thanks for pointing out that mistake. I fixed it and made some minor alterations in that chapter, too. Thanks again!

**icydragon14: **_(For chapter 7)_Thank you! Here's your update!

**Hikari-Li Hatake: **_(For chapter 7) _Thanks! I'm glad you liked that part. Here's your update!

(A/N: I gots more reviews! I ish happy now:D )

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Aw, do we _have _to!" Ino complained to me. One day, I suggested that we all could go to the arcade. And when I said "all", that included Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and me. I invited Naruto to tag along with us on account that he had become my best male buddy. Chouji willingly joined our group. Ino protested for a while, but then finally gave in, although she wasn't too ecstatic about the whole idea. As for Shikamaru, well, we literally had to drag him out of bed and convince him to go. He gave in, but commented "how troublesome" as usual.

"Will ya relax, Ino? It's gonna be fun, trust me," I assured, walking backwards to face her unenthusiastic face.

"Er, yeah, yeah, whatever, but why did you invite _him_?" she wondered, pointing to Naruto, who was also walking backwards with me.

"Hey, why _can't _I tag along with you guys, huh!" Naruto snapped.

I merely chuckled as I playfully wrapped my arm around his shoulder. "Because he's my buddy, _that's_ why," I grinned.

"Hey, Dani, do you think they have food at the arcade we're going to?" Chouji wondered, placing a hand on his rumbling stomach.

Shikamaru gave him a look. "Erm…didn't you already eat this morning?" he questioned.

"Actually, no, surprisingly," Chouji confessed. "I had to get up early this morning to go train with my father, so I didn't have time to grab something to eat."

"Don't worry," I assured, "I'm sure there'll be a snack bar there."

"We're here!" Naruto cheered. We all stopped walking when we realized that we were standing in front of the arcade.

Ino gaped at the arcade in repulsion. "I can't believe that I agreed to go at the first place…." she grumbled under her breath.

I merely sighed as I shook my head. "Quit bitching and let's go," I commanded as we walked inside. There were rows of action and fighting games along with racing games and challenging games. At an instant, I saw a glimmer in Chouji's eyes, for he had spotted a snack bar at the corner of the arcade.

"Yahoo!" he cheered. "If you all need me, I'll be stuffing my face with delicious food!" With that said, Chouji hurried over to the snack bar.

I heard Ino scoff in disgust. "Well, what the hell am _I _supposed to do, huh?" she whined.

Shikamaru merely shrugged. "I dunno. Play games?" he suggested.

"Yeah, Ino," I agreed. "I mean, what else are ya gonna—?" I stopped talking as I caught sight of the one game I had been longing to play ever since I got sucked into this world.

"Huh? Is something wrong, Dani?" Naruto wondered, poking my arm.

I let out a loud squeal. "They have it! I can't believe they have it!" I beamed excitedly as I ran to the game. It was none other than _Dance Dance Revolution_.

"Huh? You play DDR, Dani?" Ino wondered.

"Heck yeah, I play," I nodded dreamily, touching the bars and staring at the vibrant blue and pink arrows on the mat in wonder.

Shikamaru game me a look of boredom. "Why would _anyone _ever play _that_?" he wondered. "It involves too much movement. Troublesome…."

"Ah, quit complaining, lazy bum," Naruto scolded playfully. "It looks fun." He then looked over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "Hold on one second, Dani. I'm gonna get some tokens so that you can play."

"Thank you," I thanked him, still dazed, as he ran to get some tokens.

"Wow, Dani, I never knew you play this game," Ino told me.

"Yeah, I love it," I grinned.

"Are you any good at it?"

I blushed slightly as I scratched my head. "Heh, heh, well, I've practiced often."

Just then, Chouji made his way towards us with a few bags of chips. "Hey, aren't you guys playing any games yet?" he asked.

Shikamaru pointed to me. "Dani's gonna play some dance game," he answered. "Naruto went to get some tokens for her—"

"Got them!" Naruto came running towards us and handed me the tokens he had received.

"Thanks!" I chirped as I popped a few tokens into the machine.

Ino's eyes widen as she saw that I had set up the game in heavy mode. "Whoa, whoa, Dani, why are you doing _heavy _mode?" she questioned.

I turned to her. "As I told you before, I've practiced," I explained. I looked back at the game and searched around for a song. My grin, that had been plastered on my face ever since I found the game, widen as I found the one song I've been wanting to do: _AA_ (A/N: I got this song on my iPod. I'm not sure if this is the actually name, but it's what it came up as when I downloaded it).

"Hey, hold on a sec, Dani! That song's _way _too fast!" Naruto exclaimed. I merely shrugged as I chose the song….

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

_Man…this chick is nuts…. _I thought as I watched her choose a very fast song on that troublesome game.

"Gah! Dani's crazy!" Ino gasped, putting her hands on her head.

Chouji just shrugged. "Nah, I'm sure she's gonna do great," he believed.

"Yeah! Go, Dani!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

I sighed heavily. _She didn't even start playing yet, you idiot…. _I thought. As the song started playing, I shifted my gaze back towards Dani. What I saw made me very surprised, and it also made everyone else surprised to the point where their eyes had gone dilated. Dani…she was absolutely phenomenal at this game. All of those arrows…there were so many of them and they were moving so rapidly, and yet, Dani still managed to nail them all like it was nothing. I didn't know how she was able to keep up with them. I guess she was right about her practicing a lot on this game….

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

As the game ended, I sighed in content, huffing and puffing a little from moving so fast. "Ah, what a rush!" I sighed in bliss. I turned to the game and found that everyone, including Shikamaru, were totally shocked with my performance. Naruto, Ino, and Chouji seemed to be shocked the most, for I noticed that their eyes were completely dilated. I cocked my head to the side. "Erm…what?"

"Whoa, Dani…." Ino started.

"That was—" Chouji continued.

"That was _awesome_!" Naruto finished as he glomped me.

"Heh, heh, thanks," I thanked timidly.

"Hey, hey, Dani! Can you teach me how to play like that!" Naruto asked hyperactively.

"Well, I can't guarantee that you'll play like me in one day, but you will eventually with a little practice," I advised. "All you have to do is follow the arrows. You, uh, might want to start off on light mode."

"Okay!" he beamed as he jumped onto the mat.

I turned to Shikamaru and grabbed his arm. "You. You're playing me in _Mortal Kombat_," I commanded, hauling him towards the games at the corner.

* * *

"I can't believe I lost to a girl…_again_…." Shikamaru muttered in disbelief, gaping at his dead character on the screen. Shikamaru and I played a couple of rounds in _Mortal Kombat_. He was Johnny Cage and I was Subzero. I won every single round we played. 

"Aw, buck up, you bum. It was fun, wasn't it," I chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.

He scoffed at this. "How troublesome. Girls aren't supposed to be good at these games."

I grinned at him in triumph. "Well, I'm not like most girls."

He stared at me a bit surprised, but then managed to smile at me a little. "No, you're not," he agreed. "You're _way_ too—"

"Troublesome to be like most girls?" I asked, finishing his sentence for him. I smiled cutely at him. "I know. And I'm proud of it, too."

He shrugged as he exited out of the game. "You should be proud of it."

I stared at him for a bit, but then I was forced to turn away and change my surprised look to a glare as I heard an obnoxious voice from a distance. "Man, you _suck_ at this game!" A tall, blond, tan skinned, muscular boy around my age stood by the DDR machine, his sharp, icy blue eyes shooting Naruto a look of mockery.

"Shut up!" Naruto barked. "This is my first time playing this game!"

"Ha, ha. I can tell," the boy mocked. "I, the champion player of DDR in Konoha, feels appalled by your horrific performance."

"Man, what a jerk…." Shikamaru uttered as he and I gaped at the guy mocking Naruto. I growled under my breath as I stomped towards the guy. "Dani?" I heard Shikamaru said.

"Hey, listen, you!" I hollered, glaring at the guy with hate.

"Hm? You say something?" the guy asked, blinking at me.

"Don't make fun of my friend just because he isn't so great at this game! He just started, for crying out loud!" I yelled.

The boy chuckled at my yelling. "Then how's about a challenge?" he offered. "If you beat me, which I highly doubt, then I won't make fun of your friend, along with anyone else who sucks at this game, ever again. Do we have a deal?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto barked. "Dani's gonna wipe the floor on ya! She's awesome at this game!"

"Huh. Really," the boy uttered in sarcasm. He then pointed out his finger. "We'll play against each other in one song," he instructed. "My choice. The hardest song on this game and on heavy mode."

"Sure thing," I determinedly nodded as I got on the mat. "Let's play."

"Gladly," he said as he searched around for the hardest song. He finally found on suitable for the challenge. The song was quite fast, quite possibly a lot faster than the last song I played. "Ready?" he asked, looking at me with mockery.

"Yeah," I answered, returning his look. And so, the song started playing. He wasn't joking around when he claimed to be the best DDR player in Konoha. He was quite good at it. He must've underestimated me, for I caught a quick glimpse at the look he gave me as I nailed all of the arrows so far. During the middle of the song, I felt him kick me. I almost fell, but I caught my fall and resumed playing as though nothing had happened. "What the—!" the boy gasped, surprised at my action. As payback, I kicked him, just like he had kicked me. Unlike me, he lost his balance and fell off the mat. The winner? Me.

"Yeah! Way to go, Dani!" Ino, Naruto, and Chouji cheered in unison, pumping their fists in the air.

I gave them a quick bow, but then turned to the boy and grinned cockily. "Well, do you have something to say or what?"

The boy growled a bit as he got up and walked towards me. "I'm amazed that someone actually beat me in that game," he said. "Especially a girl." Suddenly, he grabbed my hands and held them in his. "It would be an honor if a girl like you dated me."

I scowled at his request. "Erm, no."

"Huh? Why not?" he wondered, a bit shocked that I declined his offer.

"Because you're a jerk face…." I answered.

"I command you that you'll accept my—!"

"Hey," I heard Shikamaru start. I was shocked when he lazily draped his arm around my shoulder. "Stop harassing my girlfriend."

"G-girlfriend!" the boy stammered, startled.

I was just as startled as he was, my entire face beet red. "Hey," I heard Shikamaru whisper to me in discrete. "Just play along, okay? It's practically the only way to get you out of this situation."

I nodded as I turned and faced the boy. "Yeah, this is my boyfriend," I casually replied, resting my head on Shikamaru. Even though I didn't see it, I could tell that Chouji and Naruto were in complete shock and Ino was probably in awe about this.

"No! There's no way!" the boy gasped.

Shikamaru merely chuckled as he pulled me closer to him. "What? Jealous?"

At this, the boy growled as he stomped his way out of the arcade. As soon as he was out of our sights, Shikamaru and I broke down into laughter. "Wow, we got him good!" I cackled.

* * *

A little while after I defeated the boy in DDR and rejected his offer of being his girlfriend, we all decided to leave and parted out separate ways. Throughout the walk home, Ino had been smiling at me. "Erm, what?" I questioned her, turning to her and giving her a look. 

"Oh, nothing, really, it's just that you and Shikamaru looked so adorable together when you pretended that you were his girlfriend," she replied.

"Erm…_what_…?" I uttered.

At that moment, Ino sighed heavily and turned to me. "Okay, look, I need to come clean. I _want _you to go out with him."

I gaped at her startled. "You…_what_?"

"It's just that…you and Shikamaru…correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that you guys were meant for each other and—"

"Ino," I started in a serious tone, my facial expression returning neutral. "I really appreciate that you're trying to help me, but I doubt that it'll never work. Shikamaru and I…we're just friends. As far as I'm aware of, I don't have any feelings for him…nor does he for me."

"But I think he likes you!" Ino suddenly snapped, raising her voice a little. "He was probably jealous that that jerk was asking you out, so that's why he pretended that he was your boyfriend!"

I kept my neutral expression. "Shikamaru only did that because he was trying to help me get out of that sticky situation, okay? I highly doubt he did that because he was jealous." Ino gave me a look of hurt. "Come on, don't look at me like that," I told her as I started to walk again. "Hey, you tried, didn't ya? And again, I appreciate that you're trying to help, but it's just not gonna work out between us. We're not…meant for each other…."

* * *

(Ino's point of view) 

I just stood there as I watched Dani walk ahead of me. I couldn't believe that she didn't think Shikamaru was interested in her. I saw how he reacted when that guy was practically hitting on her. Of course, he had a poker face so one couldn't tell how he was feeling, but I saw jealousy flaring in his eyes. As much as the two denied, I knew they couldn't hide their growing feelings for each other for long. I grinned mischievously at her. I wasn't about to give up on her just yet. Yamanaka Ino would _never _turn her back on the power of love!

Just then, Dani stopped walking and turned to me. "Hey, are ya coming or not?" she called.

"Um…yeah!" I called back as I ran to catch up with her.

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Erm, Chouji, how much money did you spend on food, anyway?" I wondered as Chouji and I walked together.

Chouji grinned happily as he carried his many bags of chips in his arms. "I dunno, but it was worth every penny!" he boasted. "By the way, there's something I need to know."

"Hm? And what would that be?" I wondered.

"Were you jealous of that guy when he asked out Dani?" he asked.

I stopped walking as I turned at him, blinking at him a few times. "What the hell gave you _that _idea, huh?" I wondered, cocking up an eyebrow.

Chouji stared off at the horizon. "You seemed a bit…tense," he pointed out. "You even pretended to be her boyfriend. That didn't seem like you at all."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He thought that I was _jealous_? He thought that I liked _Dani_? "Well, Dani was in an awkward position, so as a friend, I helped her out," I told him.

He then turned to me and grinned widely. "You _like_ her, don't you?" he assumed, chuckling and all.

"_What_? N-no! Why would I _ever _like a troublesome girl like _her_!" I argued, thought I felt the color rush to my cheeks.

"What's the problem with liking her?" Chouji wondered. "She seems to be your type of girl. She's not like any other girl in this village, and that's a good thing on your part, right?"

I gave him a blank stare. "You seem as though you _want _me to go out with her," I accused.

"Well, in a way, I do because I _want_ you to have a girlfriend that'll make you happy. Dani seems to be that kind of person to do so—"

"Chouji," I interrupted, "Dani and I are just friends. I can assure you that there's absolutely _nothing _between us. Besides…." I started to walk off. "Dating is so troublesome…."

* * *

(Chouji's point of view) 

I just stood there as I watched Shikamaru walk off. For quite some time, I felt as though Shikamaru _should _ask Dani out. That girl was…different from the others in this village. She was very intelligent, she wasn't too pretty nor too ugly, she wasn't superficial, and she didn't care what others think of her. She _must've_ been Shikamaru's type of girl. I guess Ino was right. They really _were_ meant for each other, but it seemed as though they were denying their obvious growing feelings for each other. _Hm…._ I thought as I headed for the direction of my house. _Looks like Ino and I have some more work to do…._

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 8 for ya. All week, I've thought about chapter 9 and I've finally thought of a plotline. The chapter takes place six months later and Dani has become an apprentice medical ninja trained under Shizune. Tsunade assigns her and along with the rest of team ten on a mission to escort a young princess back to her home country. Easy, right? But what if this seemingly innocent princess is really snotty and clingy (especially with Shikamaru)? How will Dani feel? And is she...dare I say it..._jealous_? Next time on _The Love of Clouds and Laptops: Six Months Later: Dani's First Mission!_ The next story to be updated _is My Life With _You. Read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	9. Six Months Later: Dani's First Mission!

Chapter 9

Six Months Later: Dani's First Mission!

* * *

(A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back with the update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! Now, this chapter is pretty short, actually shorter than usual, but I promise that I'll make the next chapters longer. Well, enjoy!

**_For those of you who reviewed..._**

**Inu Youkai Yume: **Thank you! And it is pretty neat hearing that you like clouds and laptops so much. Well, I hope you like this chapter. Sorry that it's going to be so short.

**Hikari-Li Hatake: **Thanks! Ha, ha, yeah, I made Shikamaru suck at Mortal Kombat. And yes, leave it to Ino! Ha, ha. Enjoy!

**Neko-nee-chan: **I love DDR, too! I'm pretty decent at it, but my friend is CRAZY at it, kinda like Dani. I wish I was as good as my friend. Well, here's your update!

**Snowboarding Lash: **Thank you very much! I try not to make this story rushed. I'm really glad you like it!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

Six months had passed. I couldn't believe that I had resided in this world for more than half a year already. To be sure that my parents wouldn't worry about me too much, I emailed them often to assure them that I was okay. We would exchange emails and occasionally, they would write something along the lines of, "When are you coming back?" I never responded to that sort of question only because I wasn't sure _when _I was coming back. I really didn't want to go back to the world I once lived in. Sure, I missed my family, the only people that mattered to me, but I felt more comfortable living in this world. I formed many friendships that I wasn't able to do back in the old life I lived in. The villagers were a lot nicer than the townspeople in my world.

For the past six months, I was being trained under the Hokage's assistant, Shizune to practice medical ninjutsu. Ino and I had both agreed that in order for me to blend in more with everyone in Konoha, I should train to become a kunoichi. I was also trained to learn some taijutsu, but medical ninjutsu was my strongest point. One day in my little training room in the Tsunade's building, I practiced healing a cut on my arm. The cut gradually closed up and was almost fully healed. Just then, I heard clapping from behind me. I turned my head and found Shizune standing by the doorway.

"Nice work, Chiba-chan!" she applauded. "Your medical ninjutsu is really improving!"

_Chiba_….That was my new last name. Shizune was the one that suggested that name. She thought that since I was going to be staying in Konoha for a while, she figured that I should change my last name to make my name sound a little bit more Japanese. And so, I dropped my former last name, Shields. The villagers knew me as Chiba Daniela. Chiba seemed to be a well suited last name for me, since chiba means "shield", thus making "Chiba" the Japanese equivalent of "Shields" (A/N: I think "chiba" means "shield". I remember my cousin, who is taking Japanese, tell me this when discussing Chiba Mamoru from Sailor Moon. And how that conversation was brought up, I don't know?). Oftentimes, I would accidentally refer myself as "Dani Shields" when introducing myself to someone, but I was still learning.

I scratched my head sheepishly. "Erm, thanks, sensei," I thanked.

"No problem. At this rate, you'll probably become a successful medic nin," she assured.

I blinked a few times and then stared at my arm where I formally had a cut. "You think so?" I started. "Well, looks like I should stay here _a lot _longer."

I felt Shizune smiling at me. "You really like it here, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," I replied. "The people here are nice and I'm making a lot of friends. I've even become a close friend to Ino's team."

"I could see that," she nodded. "Yamanaka-chan really thinks of you as her best friend, possibly more so than Sakura-chan. Akimichi-kun and Naruto-kun really see you as their best female friend. And Nara-kun…."

I gave her a look. "Huh? What about him?" I questioned. I knew she was referring to Shikamaru.

"Well, over the past few months, the two of you seem really close," she smiled, assuming that there was something between the lazy bum and me.

She was right about one thing, though. He and I _had_ become closer and formed a stronger bond than we ever had before. Occasionally, especially this past month when I wasn't training with Shizune and when he wasn't proctoring the Chunin Exams, since it was that time of the month, we would sit on the fields and watch the clouds all day. We would talk to each other about, well, just about anything, unless he fell asleep on me while I was talking. The thing that was still bugging me was that I had to constantly lecture him whenever he lights one of those cancer sticks of his right in front of me. He never listened to me. I was trying to be "troublesome", as he would put it, but only because I cared.

Yes, I cared for Nara Shikamaru, the laziest person I had ever met in my entire life. I cared for him as a friend…and quite possibly had feelings for him, though I tended to deny it, since I didn't see how I could be attracted to a smoker, or sometimes see it as just an infinitesimal crush; infinitesimal as in the "crush" I had on him was so small that the crush was barely even there to begin with. It's hard to explain, so I won't go into detail.

"Erm, yeah, I guess," I shrugged, stretching and cracking my knuckles in a dull manner. I heard footsteps making their way towards the room, but I ignored them.

Just then, the sounds stopped and Shizune looked over to her right. She nodded and then turned to me. "Chiba-chan," she started.

"Huh?" I asked. As a reply, she motioned her finger for me to go over to her, and so I did. When I approached her, I noticed that Shikamaru was standing in the hallway. "Hey," I greeted, a bit surprised. "What are _you _doing here?"

"The Fifth needs us in her office," he answered in his usually lazy tone.

I nodded as I started to follow him. "Why does she need us? Did I do something wrong?" I wondered.

"I doubt it," he shrugged. "Probably something troublesome, I'm sure…."

I tried my best to hold in my giggle. Normally, I would be annoyed with him complaining over every little thing imaginable, but now it seemed as though I had grown a custom to his laziness and his "how troublesome" catch phrase. As we reached to Tsunade's office, we found that Chouji and Ino were standing there, as well. "Oh, hey guys!" he greeted happily as Ino gaped at us with awe. I shot her an annoying glance. Ever since she told me that she was determined to make Shikamaru and me a couple, she wouldn't shut up about it and would beat the subject to death. She was my friend and all, but this was way too much.

I glanced over to the right of Tsunade and found a rather pretty blond girl around my age with porcelain white skin and deep ocean blue eyes. She was clad in a snow-white kimono, which very much complimented her skin tone. "Who's that?" I wondered.

"This is Kino Hikari," Tsunade introduced, "the princess of the Rain Country." (A/N: Yeah, I was going through a Naruto website to check out some of the countries that Princess Hikari could rule, so I chose the Rain Country. –sweat drops- I don't know much about this country, so just spare me, m'kay?)

"Princess!" Shikamaru and I gasped in unison.

"Wha-what is she doing _here_?" I wondered.

Tsunade sighed heavily as she dug her elbows on her desk that was crowded with paperwork and rested her chin on her hands. "That's why I called you four here," she replied. "See, she's the only child of the old ruler there and has a very…jealous uncle." No one replied, so she continued. "Her father is very ill and probably won't make it for another year. Her mother had died when she was very young. Hikari here is next in line to become the ruler of the Rain Country, but her uncle had grown jealous because _he _wanted the power for himself. So he hired someone to kidnap her to make people believe that she is dead. Your job is to escort the princess back to her home country."

_Wow…poor girl…. _I thought in sympathy, glancing over to the blond. I then raised my hand up. "Erm, Tsunade-sama, I have a question," I started.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Why did you call _me _to come here?" I asked her.

"Because, Chiba-san, we _need_ you to go on this mission," she replied.

"Wha-what?" I stammered.

"Wow, Dani, this is gonna be your first mission!" Ino beamed.

"Yes. Since you're being trained under Shizune, we need you to practice medical ninjutsu just in case of an injury," Tsunade added. She then turned to Hikari, who remained silent this whole time. "Hikari-san, these people will escort you back to your country."

Hikari let out a warm smile as she nodded. _Hm…seems like a nice girl…. _I thought.

"Oh, and one more thing," Tsunade continued. "Her uncle has sent out some ninja just in case someone were to find the princess and help her get back home. They are scattered all over the path to the Rain Country. Be cautious. That's all for now. Goodbye, and good luck."

* * *

Tsunade's words had dug into our skulls and were planted into our brains. We reached to the gates of Konoha, prepared for our mission. "Alright, you guys, as troublesome as this is, once we go through these gates, there's no turning back," Shikamaru warned. "We're coming back as soon as we bring the princess back to her country safely. Understand?" 

I gaped at him in disbelief. _Wow…. _I thought. _Who would've thought that this lazy bum was actually a leader? _

"Roger that!" Ino and Chouji beamed in unison, saluting and all. Hikari remained silent.

"Okay, then…." Shikamaru nodded as he opened the gates. We made our way out of the village and started off on our journey. Before long, Ino turned to Hikari.

"Hm, you don't talk much, do ya?" she assumed.

Suddenly, Hikari smirked, her eyes wickedly gleaming. "I don't see why I should," she told her in a smug tone of voice. Just then, she pointed her slender finger towards us. "You look like a slut, you're too fat, and _you_," it was _my _turn for her cold insult, "you're too plain and ordinary. I'm too much of a person to talk to you three."

I blinked at this as Chouji and Ino growled and glared viciously at her. _Well, now…. _I thought. _I guess she's a total bitch…._

Hikari then glanced over towards Shikamaru and smirked seductively. "I can talk to _you_. You're hot, and just my type, too." She glanced back over to Chouji, Ino, and me. "Well, let's go," she grinned innocently as she skipped over to Shikamaru and grabbed his arm. "Come now. Your name is Shikamaru, right?" she chirped, dragging him along with her. The three of us stood there dumbfounded.

"Man…." Chouji started. "What a bitch."

"Yeah, she is!" Ino barked, shaking her fist at her. "Why should we help _her_!"

I remained silent as I watched Hikari dragging Shikamaru along. I had a weird feeling that was surging through my body. Was it anger? Annoyance? Or perhaps…_jealousy_?

**(A/N: Well, that's it. I told ya it was short. Anyways, this mission will continue in the next few chapters. Anyways, the preview for chapter 10! Team 10 plus Dani are on the way to the Rain Country. Tensions run high when Hikari continues dropping rude remarks and constantly flirting with Shikamaru. Dani becomes very frustrated with Hikari, but why does she get angry when Hikari tries to flirt with Shikamaru? Anyways, I don't have a title for the next chapter, but I'll think on it. The next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. Read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	10. Anger, Annoyance, and Jealousy?

Chapter 10

Anger, Annoyance, and…Jealousy?

* * *

(A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry it took so long for me to update. I finally had some time to finish this chapter! Kudos for me! Hope you all like it!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 9..._**

**Dani Casster: **Thank you! Sorry it took me so long to update. And naw, I already have sweets at home. Thanks for the offer, though. Ha, ha. (Did you change your username? It's cool.)

**shikalover1349: **Thankies! And don't worry, Hikari will get what she deserves soon. Ha, ha. Enjoy!

**Hikari-Li Hatake: **Thanks! But yeah, like I told shikalover1349, that chick is going to get what she deserves. Mwahaha!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"I'm hungry! I'm sleepy! My feet hurt!" Hikari's series of whining and complaining had been going on for the past hour, which was how long we had been journeying off for. She was whining from the very start, I'd say about five minutes after we left Konoha. Ino, Chouji, and I were getting irritated with her attitude and whining, and I could tell that Shikamaru was, too. "Can we stop to eat? Can someone pick me up?" she continued, ending her questions with an upward inflection like a typical valley girl, much like the ones that attended my school. God, I hated valley girls.

"Man, oh, man," Chouji started through Hikari's chattering with annoyance hinted in his voice. "That chick's annoying as hell…."

"Yeah, no kidding…." Ino agreed, covering her ears.

"You're all useless!" Hikari complained. "Fatty, slutty, _and_ plainy!"

"'Fatty'…!" Chouji growled.

"'Slutty'…!" Ino snarled.

I merely sighed as I shrugged. _Her insult isn't bugging **me**, _I thought. _"Plainy" isn't even a word…._ I turned to Shikamaru who was walking beside me. "_You're _awfully quiet now," I pointed out.

"Huh. What is there for me to say? That chick's troublesome," he shrugged, not looking at me.

"I know, right?" I agreed, turning my gaze towards the road ahead. "I mean, why should we even have to put up with—?"

"Carry me, Shishi!" Hikari suddenly squealed with glee as she jumped on Shikamaru's back, thus startling the poor boy.

"_Shishi"?_ I thought, suddenly feeling…annoyed with this.

Shikamaru turned his head towards the princess and gave her a blank look. "Erm…why?" he wondered with boredom in his voice.

Hikari let out a small giggled as she nuzzled her face on the back of his neck. "Because I said so," she answered childishly.

Shikamaru groaned with annoyance. "Fine, fine…." he sighed as he started walking off with Hikari on his back. I just stood there as the annoyed Ino and Chouji stomped right by me. Suddenly, Hikari turned her gaze towards me and gave me a smirk of mockery. I tensed up at this, but shrugged it off as I started walking, as well.

_A little while later…._

"Can we stop? I'm hungry and sleepy…." Hikari whined as dusk started taking over the skies.

"Yeah, she's right for once…." Chouji agreed as he plopped onto the ground while holding his stomach. "I'm famished…."

Hikari gave him a questionable look. "How so? You're fat so how can you get hungry?" she questioned.

Chouji was not pleased with what she had said. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT!!!" he barked in fury as he started spazing in his place.

"Yeah, that's right!" Ino yelled. "Don't insult him!"

"Wah! Shishi! Your ugly friends are making fun of me!" Hikari bawled as she hugged the already annoyed Shikamaru.

I tensed up again. I felt a slight pain in my chest, very much like when Hikari had started flirting with Shikamaru. What was it? Why did I feel that way? I shifted my gaze towards the ground before turning around and walking off. "Dani? Where're _you _going?" Chouji questioned me in curiosity.

I hesitated before answering. "I'm going to take a bath over at the hot springs," I answered. "I'll be right back…."

With that said, I started to walk again, but not long before hearing Ino shouting, "Hey! Wait up, Dani!"

* * *

"So, um, hey, are you feeling alright, Dani?" Ino questioned me as we relaxed in the hot springs. 

I cocked up an eyebrow. "Eh?" I started. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, back there, you looked a little…hurt," she pointed out. "Are you okay?"

_I looked…**upset**…? _I thought. I hardly even realized that I looked upset. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I assured her.

Ino merely sighed as she gazed up at the sky through the mist from the hot springs. "Okay. I just wanted to see if you were okay, that's all," she told me.

I simply nodded as a reply. "So, what do you think of that Hikari chick?" I suddenly brought up, changing the subject.

Ino didn't seem too happy that I asked her that, for she had steam coming out of her ears. "God, I hate her!" she barked. "She's too whiny and bitchy and clingy and…! My god, she's annoying as hell! She has absolutely no respect for us and we're trying to help her out! _Zero _respect!" She then turned to me and glared. "Why the hell do you look so calm about this! You should be _pissed _that she's acting like this, _especially _since she's trying to flirt with Shikamaru!"

"What does flirting with Shikamaru have to do with me, huh?" I wondered, cocking up an eyebrow.

"You saw him first, so you claim him!" Ino blurted out.

I groaned forcefully. "Ino, how many times do I have to tell ya? There's absolutely no chemistry between Shikamaru and me," I told her.

"Aw, come on, Dani! You two are absolutely _perfect_ for—!"

"Can it, Ino—"

"Hi, girls! Mind if I join you!" a familiar voice beamed. We turned around and found Hikari standing there clad in only a towel.

Ino let out a loud growl as she shook her fist. "Heck no! Why should we let you join us when you—!"

"Go ahead, Hikari…." I sighed, thus receiving a surprised look from Ino.

Hikari grinned happily as she stepped into the hot springs. "Thanks!" she chirped. "Hey, you know what, guys? I think I may be in love with Shikamaru. Can you help me make it work?"

What Hikari had said startled both Ino and me. She…was in love with _Shikamaru_…? And she wanted Ino and me to help her _make it work_…? "What! How could you love someone you had just met!" Ino argued as I stayed silent.

Hikari sighed dreamily as she clasped her hands together. "Because he's so hot and cool and…oh…."

My eyebrow twitched. "Not to mention he smokes like a chimney and he thinks everything in life is too damn troublesome…." I uttered. I didn't quite understand my emotions at that moment. Why was I pointing out all of the negatives about Shikamaru? Was I trying to help her into not choosing the "wrong" guy? It didn't seem likely. But what was it?

Hikari merely shrugged at my observation. "Eh, I'll let that pass. So can you guys help me?"

"Erm, I think I'll pass," I answered. "I don't think you're his type." _Wait, what did I just say!_

My reasoning angered Hikari. "Um, hello! Just look at me!" she snapped, pointing to herself. "I'm _every _man's type! I'm their fantasy!"

"Well, you _are _a brat and you _did _make fun of his teammates and best friend by calling him fat," I pushed. I didn't know what I was doing. Was I _really _itching to start a fight with her?

Suddenly, Hikari's glare had turned into a smirk…her trademark smirk of mockery. "You _like _him, don't you!" she assumed.

"Of course not," I said rather calmly. "He's just a friend and nothing more."

"Hm…I thought as much, knowing that he _defiantly_ wouldn't love someone like _you_."

I tensed up at this. "What do you mean?" I asked her, agitated.

"Well, I'm going to say this as nicely as I can; you're ugly, fat, and seem too nerdy. I'm assuming you never had a boyfriend before."

It was then when I finally snapped. Those words of cruelty…those harsh words coming from the mouth of a girl very much like the girls back in my world….I was home all over again. I lunged at her and tried to drown her.

"Gah! Dani, no!" Ino screamed through Hikari's cry from underwater. Ino grabbed me and pulled me away from the princess. Hikari popped her head from underwater for air as she gaped at me with shock.

"What the hell's you're problem!" she barked. "You're crazy!"

I clenched my fists and stomped out of the hot springs. I really didn't know what truly came over me. Was it the insults? Annoyance? Or…was it because she said that Shikamaru would never…? No. I didn't think it was that….

* * *

Nightfall had finally taken over the skies. Everyone was sitting by the fire eating dinner…well…anyone except for _me_, that is. After that incident, I decided that I wanted to be alone for a while. I sat on a log as I gazed up at the stars that glistened all over the night sky. "It's been so long since I've seen stars like these…." I sighed dreamily. "At first, I totally regretted not bringing my laptop, but now, I figured that typing more in my story can wait. Star gazing is so much better…." Out of the blue, I started singing a slow ballad quietly to myself. Suddenly, I heard a twig crack, interrupting my quiet singing. I jerked my head back. "Who's there!" I gasped. There was no response. "Hello?" I began as I got up and slowly made my way towards the sound. Just then, I heard a yelp as a flock of crows started flying from behind the bushes and into the sky. 

"Gah! Stupid troublesome rats with wings!" Shikamaru snapped, stepping out from behind a tree and shaking his fist at the birds.

I blinked at him. "Shikamaru?" I started.

I saw him tense up as he turned his gaze towards me. "Uh…yo," he greeted bluntly.

I sweat dropped at this. "Erm…what are you doing here?" I asked, sitting back down on the log.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," he replied, sitting beside me.

I cocked up an eyebrow. "What made you think I wasn't okay?" I questioned him.

"I dunno. You didn't come back with Ino or Hikari—"

"I can't stand her…." I confessed.

Shikamaru gave me a look. "What?"

"She's a bitch. Why don't we just ditch the chick and get on with our lives? She wants nothing to do with us anyway…well, except for you, of course."

"I know she's a bitch, but it's our job to bring her back. We can't just leave her. And besides, I thought she didn't bother you."

"Well, she did…."

I heard him sigh heavily and suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. "Dani…look at me." I turned to him. "I have no idea what she said to you, but whatever it was, don't let it bother you. Just let it slide. You just can't let someone like that put you down. So…could you cheer up…for me?"

I couldn't help but actually smile softly at him and nodded. "Thank you, Shikamaru."

He smiled in return as he got up and extended his hand towards me. "Come on. You must be hungry." I nodded as I took his hand and got up. Afterwards, we both gazed up at the stars that scattered all over the gloomy sky. "The stars look nice tonight," he complimented.

"Yeah," I agreed, sighing. I then looked down at our hands. "Erm, Shikamaru? You could let go of my hand now."

He tensed up as he quickly released my hand from his grasp. "Erm…sorry…." he apologize as he dug his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, it's cool," I assured him as we started walking off back to the campsite. Throughout our walk together, I thought over why I didn't like Hikari so much. Even though I thought about it over and over again, I still didn't see why I _really _hated her. Was it because she was a total bitch? That she made fun of Ino and Chouji? That she insulted me? Or...that she kept flirting with Shikamaru? Was it true? As much as I denied it, was I really indeed..._jealous_? Life was so confusing..._and _troublesome...Oh, shit...Shikamaru's slothful ways are rubbing off on me...

**(A/N: Well, there ya have it, folks! And now, for the preview of the next chapter: the journey continues! Dani had just about had it with Hikari and when the two are alone together, they wound up getting kidnapped by a ninja who was sent by Hikari's uncle! Who will save them? I haven't thought of a chapter name, but I'll think on it. The next story to be updated is _My Life With You_. Read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	11. Kidnapped

Chapter 11

Kidnapped

* * *

(A/N: Gomen nasai!!!! I haven't updated this story for a while! Sorry!!! Anyways, here's the long awaited update!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 10..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Hello! I'm glad you are able to review my stories again! Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait.

**Hikari-Li Hatake: **Thanks! But Dani would be in a whole mess of trouble if she drowned her. Well, here's your update!

**Dani Casster: **Yeah, she is a bitch. I think anyone would agree with you on that one. Ha, ha. Well, I hope you like this chapter!

**ChibiChibiLove: **Thankies! Here's your update!

**Bunny The Assassin: **Thank you! And yes, I have finally continued it. Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been so busy. Enjoy!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

_Hm…I'm feeling better already, _I thought as Shikamaru and I walked our way back to the campsite. I turned to Shikamaru and smiled slightly. _You're right. I shouldn't worry about it. Thank you, Shikamaru._

Just then, Shikamaru glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "What?" he questioned me, turning his head so that our faces met.

I quickly turned my gaze away from him. "Erm, nothing…." I assured him. _My god…__**why **__does he have to be so hot? _(A/N: Ha, ha. About that, as mentioned in chapter 2, Dani thought Shikamaru was hot. XD) I looked forward and found Ino, Chouji, and Hikari sitting by the fire.

Upon hearing our footsteps, Hikari turned her head and faced us. Her eyes gleamed with joy when she saw Shikamaru. "Oh, hi, Shika-baby!" she greeted, waving at him like a maniac.

My eyebrow twitched at this. _Oh, so now she's got a new nickname for him! Geez!_

Hikari then turned to me and gaped at me dully. "Oh, hey, there, Ugly."

I twitched at this. I haven't even said one word to her and _already_, she was insulting me. I took a deep breath. "Oh, hey, there, Hikari, can you breath, now?"

Upon hearing this, Hikari let out a low snarl. Shikamaru cocked up an eyebrow at this. "What is Dani talking about?" he questioned Chouji and Ino.

The two tensed up at his question. "Erm, uh…nothing, nothing at all," Ino lied, chuckling nervously.

Shikamaru nodded his head slowly. "_Right_…."

At that moment, Hikari suddenly glomped the uninterested Shikamaru. "Who cares what Miss Ugly's talking about, Shika-baby, now let's go eat!" With that said, Hikari pulled Shikamaru down to sit next to her.

My eyebrow twitched at this.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning. The sun peeked from the mountains, slightly hiding itself from the morning as though it didn't want to wake up for the next twelve or so hours. The early birds chirped quietly in the trees. What partially woke me up was the sound of Chouji's loud snoring and Ino quietly muttering in her sleep. I sat up from the lush grass that cushioned my weight while I was sleeping and rubbed my eyes to get the sand out. "Mm…what time is it…?" I muttered quietly to myself, glancing drowsily at the watch on my wrist. "Mm…ten minutes till six…." I read. "Waking up early out of the blue…this is _not _super special awesome…." (A/N: Yeah, I got that whole super special awesome part from Yugioh the Abridged Series. God, I love that line)

Shrugging to myself, I decided to get up from the ground and wiped some dirt off my clothes. "Since Hikari pretty much ruined my relax time last night, I'm going to take a bath right now while she's asleep," I suggested as I made my way towards my bag to claim some fresh clothes for me to wear and a towel to dry me off.

I sauntered away from my team's sleeping bodies and towards the hot springs I was in last night. I stripped down until I was fully naked and stepped into the hot, steaming water that always seem to relax me. "It's great to finally relax…." I sighed blissfully, sinking into the water. I hummed silently to myself as I slowly slipped from reality. I was too relaxed to care about anything. Realizing this, I suddenly snapped back into reality. "What am I doing!" I gasped. "I mean, sure, I can relax and all, but not to the point where I'm not aware of my surroundings!" I lightly knocked on the top of my head. "Stupid Dani."

Suddenly, I heard a quick rustling sound from the bushes. I rapidly turned my body while covering my bare breasts with my arms. "What was that!" I wheezed, paranoia taking over me. Involuntarily, I grabbed hold of a pebble and held it up as though I was read to through it. "You better not be some sick pervert!" I yelled at the still bushes. Uncalled for, the leaves of the bushes started rustling once again. I let out a loud yelp as I chucked the pebble towards the bushes. The rustling came to a halt as a small, snow furred rabbit hopped its way out of the bushes. I just stood there dumbfound. _Oh, crap! _I thought. _It was just a poor innocent little rabbit! Bad, Dani, bad!_

"Hey, Dani! I heard you scream and—!" At that very moment, Shikamaru came sprinting his way towards the hot springs and stopped dead with a gasp and heavy blush when he saw me…completely nude. We just stood there, both shocked and mildly flustered. Neither of us made a sound…not even a single sound….

"GAH!! YOU DISGUSTING PERVERT!!" I screamed from the top of my lungs, obtaining an even _bigger_ rock and chucked it at his head.

"Ow! What the hell was _that _for!" he barked, rubbing his head where the rock had hit him.

"For checking me out!" I barked, pointing at him while flustered with a combination of humiliation and fury.

"Like _I _was supposed to know that you were taking a bath!" he argued, his mild blush fading down a little. "I thought you were in trouble!"

"Why would _you _care!" I snapped. I didn't know what came over me. I just wouldn't quit.

"Because we're a team! Ever thought of _that_!" he hollered.

I paused at this. What else was there for me to say? He was right while I was wrong. I glanced towards the water ashamed. "I'm…I'm sorry…." I apologized. "I dunno what came over me. Maybe I'm still a little stressed over what happened between Little Miss Sunshine and me…or I may be PMSing soon…."

I heard him sigh heavily. "It's okay," he told me softly. "Though that whole 'PMSing' thing was just way too much information."

I chuckled a bit while keeping my gaze at the water. "Yeah." _Wait a tic. I'm still naked and he's still here._ "….You're not staring at me, are ya?"

"No. I'm trying to look somewhere else."

_He said 'trying'…._ I thought, my eyebrow twitching a bit.

"Dani! Are you alright!" a familiar voice called over feet rapidly pounding on the ground. Ino, Chouji, and even Hikari came making their way towards us and stopped at their tracks, mouths agape.

Shikamaru tensed up at this. "Uh…this isn't how it looks," he told them, his hands held up in defense.

Just then, Hikari's face flushed with annoyance. "Oh, come on, Shika-baby! I'm _so _much prettier and skinnier than _that _thing over there!" she hollered, pointing at me and making her way towards us.

I sighed in frustration. "Ino," I called rather calmly, "pass me my towel."

"Oh! Um, sure thing," she nodded, grabbing my towel and tossing it towards me.

I caught it, wrapped it tightly around my soaked body, and stepped out of the hot springs. My walking came to a halt when I stood beside Hikari. "Oh, and by the way, Little Miss Sunshine…." I started, my voice cool and calm.

"Ya, what do _you _want?" she asked with an attitude. She didn't receive a reply from me. What she _did_ get was a rough shove by me, which had ultimately made her tumble into the hot springs. I stomped away from the group to get change, but not without hearing, "Gah! I'm all wet! What the hell's up _her _ass!"

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

After Dani stomped away from us, Hikari popped her head from the hot springs gasping for air. "Gah! I'm all wet! What the hell's up _her _ass!" she hollered.

At this, Ino stuck her tongue out at Hikari. "Serves you right!" she teased.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have pissed Dani off," Chouji agreed. He then turned to me and asked, "So, what exactly were you and Dani doing, Shikamaru?"

I gave him a look. "Huh? What are you talking about?" I wondered.

"Well, Dani was kinda…well…_naked_, and—"

"You were trying to sneak a peek at Dani, weren't you!" Ino snapped. "I can't believe you would even _do_ that!"

My face reddened at her accusation. "Shut up, Ino!" I barked. "I heard her scream so I thought she was in trouble! Like _I _was supposed to know she was taking a bath!"

Ino thought for a moment. "So…you _weren't _peeking at her?"

"_No_."

"And you came to see if she was alright?"

"Yes."

"And she called you a pervert?"

"Yes."

"Do you think she has a nice body?"

"Yes—I mean, no! I-I mean, it's not _bad_, just—Ugh! Troublesome…."

Hikari scoffed at this. "Ha! I can't believe you'd even _ask _him that!" she mocked. "There's no freaking way in hell she has a nice body!"

Ino was obviously angered by this. "_Everyone's_ beautiful in their own special way, so just drown, why don't you!"

I groaned forcefully at this. "Okay, guys, stop it," I scolded. "We've still got a long way to go. Whenever Dani's ready, we're heading out again…."

_A few days later…._

(Dani's point of view)

For the next few days, my team and I had been traveling to escort Hikari back to her country. We encountered many shinobi sent by Hikari's uncle, but they were no match for us. I didn't do much fighting. My main job was healing any injury my teammates had…which I had to do quite a lot, if you ask me. I still didn't get along with Hikari so well. She always taunted me at every chance she had, and she constantly flirted with Shikamaru, though I could tell he was annoyed by her just as much as I was. "Wow! Looks like Shizune wasn't kidding about your improvement in medical ninjutsu!" Chouji complimented after I healed his minor wound.

I scratched my head in embarrassment. "Well, I _have _been practicing…."

"Ha! That's pathetic!" Hikari mocked from two feet away.

I flinched at this. _Maybe if I just close my eyes, the bitch will go away…. _I thought, my eyebrow twitching.

Shikamaru sighed heavily at this. "Just leave her alone, Hikari," he told her.

At that moment, Hikari turned around and glomped him. "But Shika-baby," she started, nuzzling her face on his neck, "Dani's just an ugly little troll, well, except for her eyes 'cause they're pretty. I don't like her very much."

Furious, I hastily stood up and glared at Hikari fiercely. "Shut it, you little tramp!" I snapped.

Hikari flinched at my snap. "Wah! Shika-baby! Fugly Dani's being mean to me again!" she cried, hugging the annoyed Shikamaru.

That action only angered me more. "I've _had _it with you!" I barked, punching a tree that stood beside me. The punch _did_ create a minor dent on it, and also the cuts on my knuckles, which my blood slowly seeped out of. Angered, I covered my semi bloody hand and stormed off. I sensed that someone was following me, but I continued storming off until….

"Hey! What's your problem anyway!"

My stomping came to a halt. I turned my head and found Hikari standing there pouting. I snarled at this. "My problem is _you_!" I snapped, turning my body completely. "How come you're insulting me so much! Do you act this way towards the people in your country!"

"But of course!" she shouted rather proudly. "I have authority over them, so why should _I_ care, _especially _with people like _you _who isn't even in the same social class as me!"

"And what about Shikamaru!" I added. "Why is it that you're only nice to _him_!"

"Well, isn't it obvious? He's hot!"

"You're shallow, you know that! There's _a lot_ more to him than looks, you know!" At that, I rapidly covered my lips. _Oh, no! What did I say! _

"I knew it!" she hollered, pointing to me. "You _love _him!"

"I never said that!"

"It doesn't matter! Why else would you hate me! Your other excuses are a load of bull!" Her scowl disappeared, making her face neutral. "I see the way you look at me every time I flirt with the guy. I can see it in your eyes, the mix of hurt and hate."

"…."

She shrugged at this. "But whatever." A smirked graced her lips. "Like _you'd _stand a chance anyway….Fugly Dani."

Okay, that really pushed me to the edge. "AH!!" I hollered, lunging myself at her and began choking her. She struggled to break free from my grasp, but I wouldn't let go. I knew I would get in a lot of trouble if I ended up killing her, but…I just didn't care at the moment. Suddenly, Hikari and I felt ourselves getting lifted off the ground by a dark form and being hauled away. Without a second thought, I felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck and before long, I slowly slipped into darkness….

**(A/N: Well, that's that. And now the preview of the next chapter: Dani and Hikari have been kidnapped by a ninja sent by Hikari's uncle. Shikamaru and the rest of the gang find out about the abduction, but what if Shikamaru had to choose between saving Hikari, the princess his team are forced to escort back to her country, or Dani, his own teammate. Who will he choose? The next story to be updated _is My Life With You_. Read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	12. Hikari Saga Finale

Chapter 12

Hikari Saga Finale

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(A/N: Hi! I'm so, so sorry I took so long to update! I had too much school work to do and I was also working on my other story at the time. Plus, the library was never available when I needed it. Anyways, here's the update at long last. And the title says all: This is the final part of the Hikari saga.) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 11..._**

**Hikari-Li Hatake: **I'm glad you liked this chapter. Well, I don't think Dani and Hikari will have a showdown anytime soon since this is the final part of the Hikari saga. Well, here's your update!

**Miss Interpreted: **Thanks! And I read that one shot you made. It was really good. Anyhoo, here's your update!

**native-kitten: **Thank you! Hope you like this chapter! Ciao! (Ah, the joys of Italian class)

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Ha, ha. So I see you don't like Miss Hikari, huh? And yes, I made Shika a semi-perv. Hee, hee. Hope you like this chapter!

**icydragon14: **Thank you! Heres's your update!

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Any luck, you guys?" I questioned Chouji and Ino at out meeting spot. After not seeing Dani or Hikari for a while, I instructed that we would all split up to go look for them and meet up at a designated spot. We've searched all over the area, but still, nothing.

Chouji shook his head. "No…."

Ino laced her fingers together and held her arms to her chest. "I'm worried. What if something _bad _happened to Dani?" she squeaked in worry. "I couldn't care less what happened to Hikari, though…."

"Yeah, but if something bad were to happen to Hikari, then our asses are dead meat," I pointed out. "We just gotta search harder."

Chouji and Ino nodded as they saluted. "Yessir!" With that said, they ran off to begin searching again.

Then, it was my turn to run off and search again. As I ran off, only one thought took over my mind, _Something bad better not have happened to you...Dani..._

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Gah!! Somebody help us!!" Hikari cried in her usually piercingly loud voice that could make one's ears bleed. After being unconscious for quite some time, Hikari and I finally woke up finding ourselves hanging on a branch that was positioned high on a tree. If we were to fall, we would be finished due to the extreme height. Thick rope was tied tightly around our wrists.

I rolled my eyes at this. "Hikari, this is your fiftieth attempt to cry out for help," I reminded her.

Hikari shot me a cold, icy glare. "Yeah, well, at least I'm _trying _to get help, Fugly Dani!" she snapped. My eyebrow twitched at this as I kicked her roughly on the thigh. "Ouch! What was _that _for!" she cried.

"For being an idiot, _that_'s what…." I grumbled. Suddenly, I heard Hikari sigh heavily. "Hm?" I started, turning my face towards hers.

She smiled dreamily. "I'm _certain _that Shika-kun will come and rescue me…." she sighed. She then turned to me and stuck out her tongue. "And he'll leave you here to die."

"Dude, can you shut up for _two seconds_…?" I snarled, becoming quite agitated with her behavior.

"Never!" she cackled as she kicked me. I gasped at this and kicked her back. So there we were, two girls held captive having a "kick-off".

"Mwahaha! Looks like your uncle's going to be proud of me, eh, Princess?" a dark voice cackled from above. Hikari and I glanced upward and found an older looking ninja standing on the branch above us. He was dark skinned, with deep brown hair that fell loosely past his shoulder blades and dark eyes that show malice. Now, I couldn't quite determine what he _truly _looked like, for he had a black mask that covered his face from his nose down, very much like that silver-haired Jounin back in Konoha; what was his name…? It was Hatake Kakashi, if I do recall. His darks clothes were tattered quite possibly from an ambush or something.

"My uncle sent you, didn't he!" Hikari gasped.

I rolled my eyes at this. _No shit, Miss Points Out the Obvious…. _I thought.

The ninja chuckled at this is he cupped Hikari's chin with his hand and lifted her face. "Correct," he replied, his voice dark and sinister. "This is all according to plan. All I've got to do is kill you for your uncle so that he can take over your job as ruler."

I tensed up when I saw Hikari trembling in fear. _She really __**is **__afraid, isn't she…? _I thought in concern. Suddenly, a scowl appeared on my face as I glared at the ninja. "Hey, leave her alone!" I snapped. "Just you wait! We're going to bring her back home whether her uncle likes it or not—!"

Suddenly, the ninja roughly slapped me across the face. My cheek was all red and because of the ring on his finger, I also got a minor scratch that bled a little. I slowly turned my face towards his, my redden cheek pulsing in pain. _I hate to think this, but ouch…. _I thought, admitting to myself that the slap _did _hurt.

The man chuckled darkly again as he lifted my chin, carefully licking the blood off my cheek, so much in my disgust. "Mm…you have nice eyes," he complimented. Suddenly, he pulled out a kunai from his pouch and neared it towards my face. "May I gorge them out?"

Without turning my face, I shifted my eyes over towards Hikari, who was gaping at the sight in shock. Suddenly, a scowl appeared on her face. "Hey! Only _I _can slap Dani, not you!" she barked, biting his hand, which caused him to howl in pain and disappear into the tree. Hikari scoffed at this as she spat out some blood from biting the ninja. "Ha! _That'll_ teach him to mess with us!" she cackled boldly in triumph.

I stared at her with my mouth agape. "Hikari, you…you practically _saved_ me…." I wowed in disbelief.

At this, Hikari swiftly spun her head around to face me. "Huh! That was just to get him out of our sight!" she pouted. "You're still Fugly Dani to me!"

With that, I hung my head down and sighed. "Great, _now _what...?" I questioned myself, my vision starting to blur. At that moment, I perceived something, or rather, _someone _standing beside the base of the tree staring up at me. Those brown, lazy puppy dog-like eyes…. "Shi-Shikamaru!" I gasped, recognizing him.

"Hey! You all right!" he called. "We've been looking all over for you guys!"

"Kyaa! Shika-kun! You've come for me!" Hikari squealed, happiness dancing in her eyes.

"What happened?" Shikamaru questioned, ignoring Hikari completely.

"Hikari and I got kidnapped by a ninja her uncle sent to keep us from bringing her home," I explained. "He may be still around here, so be careful—"

My explanation was cut off when a gust of wind struck Hikari and me. We felt weight on the branch above us once again, for the ninja had emerged from hiding and had kunais near the ropes that kept Hikari and me hanging on the branch. "Oh? Has someone already come for help?" he chuckled mercilessly.

Hikari scowled at the man. "Screw you! Shika-kun is gonna save us and—"

"There is no 'us' involved when he's only going to save _one_ of you…." The man continued, nearing the kunais closer towards the ropes.

When Shikamaru saw this, he finally spoke up. "What do you mean, and what are you doing?" he called, panic hinting in his voice.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" the ninja asked, shrugging a bit. "You can't possibly save _both _of them, so you're just going to have to choose between the two, because once I cut these ropes, it's all over for one of them."

Hikari and I gasped at this. "Gah! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!" Hikari bawled, spazing in her place.

I glanced over towards the frantic Hikari for a minute, then sighed, and then turned my gaze towards Shikamaru. I smiled softly. "Save Hikari…." I told him. He seemed shocked with what I had told him to do, and Hikari was just as shocked as he was. I continued. "I don't want you to get in trouble for this…so just have _me _die and save her…." I hung my head down. A single, silent tear escaped from my eye and fell on the ground like a single raindrop. Clenching my fists, I fought back the rest of the tears that were practically blinding my vision. _Here goes nothing…._ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut until it was hurting me. _Time to fall into my demise….So long, world….So long, dream….So long—_

What interrupted my thoughts were the sounds of two kunais rapidly sawing the ropes that held Hikari and me captive. _You'll be safe, Hikari…. _I thought again. _Shikamaru's going to save you and he'll bring you back home. I know I don't like you, but…it would be wrong if you get killed because of me. Two wrongs don't make a right, Hikari— _

My thoughts were interrupted again by a loud snap from above me. Before long, I started falling downward. The sounds of Hikari's screaming and Shikamaru running up the tree rang into my ears as my eyes remained shut. Suddenly, I heard Hikari screaming, "What the—!" Then, I felt something grabbing me and gently landing on the ground. I shot my eyes open and found…and found myself in Shikamaru's arms. He saved me….He saved _me_…when he should've saved Hikari, who was still falling her way down.

My bottom lip trembled at this. "Are you okay, Dani?" Shikamaru questioned me softly with concern hinting in his voice.

"But…but _why_?" I questioned, still in shock. Glancing over his shoulder, I found Chouji suddenly running up the tree and capturing Hikari as Ino appeared from behind another tree and threw two shuriken towards the ninja. The shuriken nailed the ninja in both eyes and soon after, his still body fell heavily on the ground.

Hikari looked up and was disgusted to see that Chouji had saved her and not Shikamaru. "Hey! Put me down, fatso!"

Chouji's eyebrow twitched at this. No surprise there. "Whatever…." He scoffed as he dropped her, causing her to land on her bottom.

Hikari growled as she stomped towards Shikamaru. "You! So you decided to save your ugly friend and not me!" she snapped. "How _dare_ you! I could've _died_, you dumb ass! You're selfish! You're selfish and you're not a good leader at all!"

I glowered at her. I couldn't believe she was even saying things like that to him. _Alright, that's it…. _I thought as I slowly made my way towards her. She continued her rant.

"I don't care how hot and smart you are!" Hikari continued. "Not saving me makes you an idiot! You're just an idiotic, lousy leader and—!"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed from the top of my longs as I did something I should've done a long time ago. Hikari stared at me with her mouth agape as she covered the deep red mark on her cheek. That's right. I slapped her. I slapped her _hard_. And it made me feel good, too. "How _dare_ you say such things to him!" I snapped, my faced flushed with fury. "He's _not_ selfish! If he was, then he wouldn't have come all this way to _save_ us! He's not a dumb ass, either! _You're _hardly the standard for one, and _that _was sarcasm, by the way! And most of all, he's _not _a lousy leader! He makes a _great _leader, by far the greatest I've ever seen! We _all_ had to deal with your whiney little ass for many, many days, and we've _had _it with your attitude and immaturity! You're fifteen and a teenager! Start acting like one!"

With that, I quickly turned around and stomped away, leaving everyone shocked and silent.

* * *

(Ino's point of view) 

"Wow, I guess Dani really shut Hikari up," Chouji started in amazement. Eventually after that whole incident with that ninja, we all returned to our camping site. Hikari hadn't said a single word ever since Dani told her off and boy, did it feel great.

I chuckled mischievously at this as I grinned evilly at Hikari, who was already fast asleep. "Yeah. Finally, Little Miss Sunshine finally decided to shut that little trap of hers."

Just then, Chouji started to look around. "Hey, where's Dani?" he wondered, realizing that she wasn't there.

"Oh, she went to the clearing not too far from here to cool down after that whole thing with her and Hikari," I answered. Suddenly, Shikamaru, who hadn't said a word since Dani left the camp sight, stood up and started to walk off. "Hey, where're _you _going?" I questioned him.

Shikamaru shrugged. I'm gonna take a walk…." With that said, he walked away until he was out of our sights.

Just then, I let out a low squeal in excitement. "Huh? What's up, Ino?" Chouji wondered after hearing my squeal.

At this, I clasped my hands together dreamingly. "He's going to see Dani, I'm _sure_ of it!" I squealed again. "After that little act he pulled saving her, I'm _positive _that he's falling in love with her! I say we sneak up on him!" Before I could get up, Chouji suddenly grabbed my hand.

"No, Ino. Let's just leave them alone for a bit," he suggested.

Sighing heavily, I nodded my head in agreement. "Okay…."

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

I sat on a log that sat in the clearing as I gazed at the stars that scattered throughout the wide blanket of darkness above me. I was at peace. No longer was I steamed about that whole situation with Hikari. No longer did I worry about anything. I had the nightfall's stunning gift to thank. Suddenly, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder.

"Mind if I join you, Dani?"

I quickly turned my head and found Shikamaru standing behind me. "Oh! Sure thing," I nodded as he sat down beside me. As I continued staring at the stars, I felt gentle fingers caressing my cheek, where the minor cut was. The touch gave me goose bumps.

"Did it hurt?" he questioned me.

"N-no…." I stammered, turning my head away from him more so that those gentle fingers of his wouldn't touch my cheek anymore. "So," I started, hoping to change the subject, "where are the others?"

"Well, Ino and Chouji are back at the campsite," he answered, "and Hikari's sleeping. Man, you must've really shut her up good 'cause she hasn't been talking all day."

I chuckled at this. "Yeah, that was the point. Oh, by the way, that was a pretty cool strategy you had."

"Huh?" he asked in curiosity.

I turned my gaze towards the stars. "You had it all planned out, didn't you? You planned to save me, and then Chouji could save Hikari, and then Ino would attack that ninja. I'll give you props on that idea."

He was silent after I said that. He finally decided to break the silence, but not in a way I expected. "I didn't plan that…."

Startled, I looked at him and found that he was serious. "_What_?" I asked.

"That wasn't planned," he answered. "I didn't even know Ino and Chouji were there. There was no strategic plan involved. I chose to save you and not Hikari, without even knowing that Chouji was going to save her."

My jaw dropped at this. "But…but _why_? Why would you risk getting into deep trouble just to save _me_?"

He sighed heavily as he twiddled his thumbs together, trying to think of something to say. "Well, I—" he started. "I guess….How troublesome….I guess I kinda…you know…_care_ about you…."

Still shocked, I shut my mouth and blushed lightly as I noticed a blush, barely noticeable, grazing across his cheeks. My eyes soften at this. "Shikamaru…." I said, almost in a whisper. Without even thinking, my body involuntarily scooted its way closer to him. Before he could get a word in, I suddenly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. "Thank you…." I whispered into his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat before realizing that _my_ heart was racing, as well. Suddenly, I felt a pair of strong arms slowly and timidly making their way around my body and pulling me closer into the embrace. I had a warm feeling in my chest. My stomach was swarming with butterflies. I felt my face burning up. What were those feelings I was having? At that moment, I slowly closed my eyes, waiting for the sandman to take over me. For the first time in my life, I felt…safe….

_The next day…._

"We're here!" Ino cheered excitedly as we approached to the entrance of the Rain Country.

Hikari turned to us and bowed. "Erm…thanks," she thanked, sounding unsure. Looking to her side, she scratched her head in a still unsure manner. "I, uh, guess I was a little too hard on you guys, huh…?"

Ino scoffed at this. "Ya _think_?" she grumbled in sarcasm, rolling her eyes.

At this, I pinched her arm. "It's fine, Hikari…." I shrugged.

She then looked at me. "Chiba…."

"Yeah?"

She groaned forcefully. "I...thought about you said and...and I guess you're right. And I guess…I guess you're not so bad after all…."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Erm…thanks."

Feeling awkward, Hikari opened the gates and looked back at us. "Erm, thanks again. Bye." At that, she entered into her home country. The gates closed behind her.

Ino sighed as she crossed her arms over the back of her head. "Glad _that's _over…."

"Yeah, but…." Chouji started, sighing in aggravation, "it's going to take us _days _to get back home."

I thought over the situation until a crazy idea popped into my mind. "Hey, Chouji. Make yourself inflatable," I instructed.

Chouji gave me a look. "Erm…okay…?" He did exactly as he was told.

"Ino, jump on Chouji. Shikamaru, give me a boost," I continued. At that, Ino jumped on Chouji. Shikamaru carried me on his back and jumped on Chouji, as well.

"Erm…what's the point of this, exactly…?" Shikamaru wondered as he set me down.

I grinned at this as I called down to Chouji. "Okay! Start rolling!"

"Roger!" he hollered.

"Huh? _Rolling_? What are ya—? Ah!" Ino cried. As Chouji rolled, Ino, Shikamaru, and I ran on his inflated body so that we could stay on. The perfect plan. "Gah! I'll get you for this, Dani!" Ino shouted. All I could do was laugh cheerfully….

**(A/N: Well, that's the final part of the Hikari saga! Hoped you guys liked it. Now as for the next chapter, I haven't thought up of a plotline yet. Chances are, it's going to be a filler, but I'm going to try to make it a really _good_ filler. Anyways, the next story to be updated is--Ah, I'm sure you guys already know the drill by now. Well, read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	13. The Visit

Chapter 13

The Visit

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(A/N: Gomen nasai!!! I am so, so sorry I haven't updated in so long! It's just that I had been so busy, and my birthday was two days ago and, all I can say is that I apologize greatly for keeping you all waiting! Anyways, I finally managed to update this story on a school night of all nights! This is a filler chapter since I didn't have such a creative idea, so spare me, please. Hope you guys like this chapter!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 12..._**

**Hikari-Li Hatake:** Thanks! Ha, ha, yeah, I suppose the kick off was some sort of a showdown. Anyhoo, I'm so sorry to keep your update waiting! Hope you like this chapter!

**native-kitten: **Thank you! No, they didn't kiss. I'm sure you would've been thrilled if they did. Hope you like this chapter!

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Ha, ha. Mm, ice cream...I can go for that. Here's your update!

**icydragon14: **Thanks! Here's your update!

**Shinkutski: **Ha, ha. I guess you really hate Hikari, huh? Well, she's gone now, so you can enjoy the story without her meddling with Dani! (and no, Dani isn't me. She's just a character I made up one day).

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"Achoo!" I sneezed, sniffling a lot afterwards. It had been over a week since the mission and there I was, sick in bed with a cold. Lovely, right…? I glared at Ino, who was making her way towards my bed with a bowl of miso soup. "I _told _you it was a bad idea going swimming in the lake in cold weather…." I glared. 

After handing me my miso soup, Ino chuckled nervously as she scratched her head with her index finger. "Heh, heh, sorry. I didn't think you'd get sick."

I rolled my eyes at her ignorance. "It's common sense, bud…."

"And again, I apologized," she apologized again. "Is there anything you need before I head out to the flower shop?"

I waved my hand in protest. "Nah, I'm all set. Thanks, anyway."

"Don't mention it," she smiled, heading towards the door, but stopped and glanced back towards me. "I'm not sure when my dad and I will be back, so—"

"It's okay, Ino, I'll be fine," I assured her, managing to smile a bit.

"Okay, bye!" she grinned, stepping out of the room.

Sniffling from being congested, I grabbed my laptop that was sitting on desk beside my bed and turned it on. "I figure once I finish this chapter, I'll take a nap. It shouldn't take _too _long," I planned out. My whole experience with Hikari had ridded me of my writer's block and inspired me to type more in my still unnamed novel. I pretty much almost copied every event that happened, but tweaked it up a bit. Instead of making the character that was inspire by Hikari a princess, I didn't make her royalty, but a spoiled girl who grew up in a well-to-do family that ran away from home. And instead of a mission to escort her back to her country, the characters helped convince her to go back home.

_A little more….A little more…. _I thought as I rapidly punched the dark keys on my keyboard with my fingers, finishing up the final paragraph. After punching the last letter keys that made up with final sentence, I sighed forcefully as I closed my laptop. "All done," I grinned blissfully, laying back on the bed. "Time to get some shut eye…." I said, tranquil and weary, fluttering my eyelids slowly before blanketing them over my eyes. Darkness blinded my vision, and soon after, I succumbed to the sandman's spell and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

For a few hours, I was in deep tranquil sleep despite my cold, and I would've slept the whole day if that blasted phone hadn't start ringing, thus awakening me from my slumber. I sat up grouchily from the bed, snarling under my breath through the loud ringing that could drive a person to insanity. Sweating due to the fever I had, I grasped onto the phone in an irritable manner and held it against my ear. "Hello?" I answered, attempting to hide the annoyance that was somewhat hinting in my voice. 

"Hey, Dani?" a familiar voice with a lazy tone to it questioned after I responded.

"Erm, may I ask who's calling?" I asked, placing the palm of my hand to my forehead due to the intense headache I had.

"It's Shikamaru. This is troublesome, but Ino told me that I have to come over so that I could keep you company for a little while."

_What? Shikamaru? __**Here**__? Just the two of us? __**Alone**? _I thought, a little shocked at his request. "Uh, you can't. You might catch my cold," I told him, telling him the truth, yet at the same time, trying to talk my way out of this situation.

"Who cares?" he said.

"'Who cares'?" I repeated through my sniffling. "Shikamaru, I don't want you getting sick—"

"Like I'm gonna be _that_ close to you anyway….Bye." With that said, Shikamaru hung up on me before I could even get another word in.

"Son of a bitch…." I cursed under my breath as I slammed the phone on my bed. "It's weird…ever since I, well…embraced him that night, I've been feeling a little shy around him….I just…don't know why, though…." I let out a small chuckle. "Maybe it's because I've never hugged a guy like that before. Yeah, _that's_ it," I assumed. I let out a loud sigh as I cupped my cheeks with my hands and rested my elbows on my knees. "That Ino….She really wants me to go out with Shikamaru." I chuckled at her determination. "She's so desperate that she'll try _anything_. Can't she understand that he and I are just friends?" Sniffling again, I leaned back and rested my head on my pillow, closing my eyes slowly. "I guess I'll take a nap while I wait for Shikamaru…." I decided as I once again succumbed to the power of sleep.

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Dammit, Ino. Why do _I _have to visit Dani? Troublesome," I complained, making my way towards Ino's house while carrying some medicine in a bag that dangled freely in my grasp. I let out a silent sigh as I glanced towards the bag from the corner of my eyes. "Well…since I'm doing this, I might as well get her some medicine for her cold…."

As I glanced forward, I found myself standing before the Yamanaka residence. Nodding to myself, I made my way to the door and grasped onto the doorknob, thus discovering that the door was unlocked. My eyebrow twitched at this. "Smooth move, Ino. You left your freaking door unlocked…." Looking inside, I shrugged to myself. "Ah, well, might as well…."

With that said, I stepped inside the house and shut the door behind me. "Oi, Dani!" I called, expecting to get a reply. My called echoed through the entire house, but no reply was heard. "Hello?" I called again as I climbed my way upstairs to the next floor up. I slowly made my way past two bedrooms when I finally reached to the third one. Cautiously, I creaked open the door and found Dani sound asleep in her bed.

Shaking my head, I tiptoed my way towards her. "Troublesome girl. My advice is to never listen to Ino again if you want to avoid getting sick again," I whispered, placing the bag of medicine on her dresser. I glanced over towards her and gazed at her sleeping figure. I…couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her sleeping face, so tranquil and full of innocence, captivated my eyes. _Damn….She's cute when she's asleep….Wait, what! _I rapidly shook my head to get those dreaded thoughts out of my mind. Kneeling down beside her, I gazed at her sleeping face again. _It's kinda hard for me thinking that she isn't cute…. _I thought, brushing away some strands of hair that fell upon her face. Under my touch, I saw her stir in her sleep.

_Shit! _I thought, jerking my hand away from her face. _I gotta get outta here before she wakes up! _Nodding to myself, I cautiously tiptoed my way out of her room, until….

"Shikamaru…?"

I tensed up at her tired, unenthusiastic respond. Sweat dropping, I slowly turned my head to face her and held my hand up to my face. "Yo."

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

I cocked up an eyebrow at his strange, yet rather amusing greeting. "Erm, hello….May I ask why you're in my bedroom?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat while scratching his head in a sheepish manner. "Well, uh, see, I was gonna knock, but Ino left the door opened, so I went inside and—"

"Forget about it…." I sighed, waving my hand. During our little awkward moment of silence, I immediately grabbed my laptop and turned it on.

At this action, Shikamaru cocked his head to the side in a questionable manner. "You're still typing in that troublesome story of yours even though you're sick?" he asked me.

I shook my head in reply. "Nope. I already typed enough today," I answered, typing in the URL for my Gaia account. "I'm just checking something on Gaia really quick."

Shikamaru cocked up an eyebrow as he sat down beside me. "Huh?"

"Oh, it's just some account I have," I replied, fidgeting a bit because he was so close to me. Hitting my friends list, I clicked onto Natalie's username, which was placed as number one followed by the rest of the acquaintances on the list. I let out a heavy and sad sigh, my eyes scanning the text on her profile. "Just as I thought…." I shrugged. "I'm not on the list at all…and Jessie's number one…."

Shikamaru gave me a questionable glance as he carefully grabbed the laptop from out of my hands and placed it on his lap. "What are you talking about?" he wondered, examining the profile.

I let out yet another heavy sigh. "Her name's Natalie," I answered. "She's my best friend…well, _former _best friend….See, she and I used to be really close, until this girl named Jessie came along and now Natalie acts as though I've never even existed. I mean, take a look at the list of her friend's names on her profile. _I'm _not even on it…."

Upon hearing my explanation, he shrugged, not taking his eyes off the screen. "I wouldn't worry about it."

I let out a small gasp at this. I thought he was just going to shrug and that was it, but boy, was _I_ wrong. "What?" I started. What a fine way to react to what he said, huh? Cliché, cliché, and more cliché….

"Alright, then I'll reiterate that for you; don't worry about it. If she's gonna act that way towards you, then it's her loss. She isn't worth getting upset over. You understand that?"

Though I was confused at his sudden kindness, I managed to curve my lips into a small yet warm smile. "Thanks."

"No problem—Hey, what's this?" he suddenly questioned.

"Hm?" I asked, scooting closer to him and peering at the laptop screen. My eyes practically bulged out of my eye sockets, for he had opened into my video that I had made with two of my friends. "Shi-Shikamaru! Don't go into my stuff!" I scolded frantically.

"Who are they and what were you guys doing?" he questioned me, pointing to the screen.

I glanced over towards the screen once again. "Oh, that's my next door neighbor and friend Roger and his girlfriend Becky," I replied. "We were pretty much making some pointless documentary on our school dances and crap." I then pointed to the screen. "See, we were filming during our Welcome Back Dance…."

_And now, the video…._

_**"Ha, ha! This is gonna be great!" Roger cackled as he placed an arm around his girlfriend Becky on the table as I filmed them. So there we were, three friends who decided to make a documentary on our school dances. The dance took place in our enormous cafeteria. One side of the room was lit up, where we were, and the other side was dark with multi-hued glow sticks illuminating the room. Hundreds of students were bundled together in separate cliques bumping and grinding to the hip-hop music playing loudly through the speakers.**_

_**Becky, a pretty, long haired brunette, rolled her aqua blue eyes at Roger's comment. "Quiet, honey. Dani's already filming," she scolded.**_

_**"Alrighty, then. I guess I'll start first," I sighed, holding the camera as I cleared my throat to begin. "Hello," I began, speaking like a professional, "Dani here filming our very first documentary."**_

_**"Today, our topic is school dances," Becky added, showing off her award winning smile.**_

_**"And the sex crazed teens that infest this school with their stupidity," Roger finished. **_

_**Suddenly, from out of the blue, the hip-hop music that was playing in the background slowly started to die down as ska music started overpowering it, causing the rest of our peers to moan and groan in annoyance.**_

"_**What the hell **__is __**this shit!" one of them shouted through the song.**_

"_**Turn that shit off!" another demanded. **_

"_**How the hell are we supposed to dance to this rock shit!"**_

_**Roger rolled his eyes at their complaints. "Whine, whine, cry, cry, slit your wrists and die!" he shouted towards them, though they ignored him. **_

"_**Ooh, nice one, Roger. Did you just come up with that rhyme?" I asked him with sarcasm hinting in my voice. **_

"_**Actually, I **__did__**. Thanks, Shields," he thanked, using sarcasm, as well.**_

"_**Erm…shall we continue…?" Becky questioned, cocking up an eyebrow. She then turned to the camera and grinned. "Now, as you can see," she started as she pointed to the clumps of bodies surrounding the DJ while hollering at him through the loud music that was more appealing to our ears, "The three of us, my friend Dani, my boyfriend Roger, and me, are students from a school full of conformists who are now complaining to the DJ because he decided to play some ska music right now and not their precious rap music."**_

"_**And since their precious rap music isn't playing," Roger added, looking at the camera, "they can't have sex on the dance floor like they normally do."**_

_**Suddenly, a slow ballad was heard playing in the background. Upon hearing this, the crown of students slowly and suddenly dispersed as they paired up with their significant other and started dancing to the beat. **_

"_**And so," Becky started again, "as you can see, the only time when our peers aren't bumping and grinding is when a ballad is being played and—Ah!" Her sentence was cut off when Roger suddenly grabbed her and started dancing with her on the spot. I giggled at this as I softly started singing along to the words….**_

_End of video since it's about to get interrupted…._

Feeling light headed, I suddenly leaned my head on Shikamaru's shoulder. I felt him tense up at my action. "I'm sorry…." I weakly apologized. "I'm feeling a little light headed and—"

Just then, he grabbed me and laid me on the bed, tucking me in. He then placed a hand on my forehead, checking my temperature. "You're a little warm," he told me, pulling his hand away and standing up. "You stay put," he continued. "I'll be right back." With that said, he walked out of the room.

I laid on the bed bundled in heavy bed sheets, sweating due to my fever. My eyebrow twitched in aggravation. "Damn you, Ino," I growled, my eyelids feeling heavy. "I'm never gonna listen to you again…."

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Okay, I'm—" I started, walking into the room with a cold wet cloth, as I found Dani already fast asleep. Upon viewing this, I sighed forcefully as I approached her and gently laid the cloth across her forehead, pushing some strands of hair away. "You really _do _have a beautiful singing voice, Dani," I smiled softly, remembering the video we watched. "I should let you rest," I suggested, walking away, but stopped when I saw a computer sitting on a desk that stood across from the bed. A CD laid to the left of the keyboard. I glanced over at Dani for a split second, and then turned my gaze back towards the computer. I then made my way towards the computer and sat on the chair. As I turned it on, I grabbed the CD and examined it. "This won't take long," I uttered, inserting the CD in.

**(A/N: Well, that's that! I'm not going to say what Shikamaru's going to do, but don't worry, it's nothing bad. Anyways, as for the next chapter, I haven't the slightest idea what it's going to be about, but I'll think it over while I type up the final chapter of _My Life With You_, which is the next story to be updated. Hope you all liked this chapter! Read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	14. They Should Be Together?

Chapter 14

They Should Be Together?

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(A/N: Gomen nasai!!!!! How long has it been since I've updated? A month? I'm so, so sorry! I've been busy and the removal of my wisdom teeth and--Sorry!!! I have finally updated _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! Rejoice! Unfortunately, this is yet another filler chapter since I was out of ideas, but I'm thinking about the next chapter. So...hope you like it anyway!) 

**_Recent Reviewers..._**

**native-kitten: **Thank you. And you probably won't find out what happens with the CD until later, later on in the story.

**Kiss and Cry: **Aw, thanks! I tried. :3 Here's your update.

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Ha, ha! Thanks! Here's your update. Sorry it took me forever.

**Shinkutsuki: **Thanks! And I'm afraid I can't tell you what the deal is with the CD. You'll just have to wait and see!

**PhoenixOutOfHell-AKA-Alana: **Aw, thank you very much! You're a sweetheart:3 Sorry it took me so long to update, but here it is!

**Voo-doo Vodly-poo: **Okay, thanks for that. My mistake. -sweat drop- Well, I fixed it. :) Thanks again!

**Luna.the.betrayal.ninja: **Oh, thank you! I feel so honored that this story had inspired you! And yes, I know this story hasn't been too exciting so far, but I'm gonna strive for excitement in the next chapter.

**charmunclefleebixsan: **Here's your update! Sorry it took so long!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Okay, Ino, picking an ice cream flavor isn't rocket science," I groaned in aggravation, standing off to the side impatiently as I watched Ino trying to decide a flavor. After a couple of days, I finally came over my cold. Ino and I decided to spend the day together, or as _she_ would entitle it, a "girls day out". We decided to get some ice cream afterwards. I had already received mine, just a plain chocolate ice cream in a cone. As for Ino, she was taking forever, over exaggeratedly speaking.

She peered at the list of flavors posted by the counter. "Hold on a sec, would ya?" she told me, waving her hand at me.

I rolled my eyes at her reply. "Whatever…." I took a lick at my ice cream.

"Ooh! Ooh! I've got it!" She grinned at the person behind the counter and held her finger up. "Strawberry, please!"

I stood there patiently as Ino waited for her ice cream. "Tell me, Ino, do you _always _have a difficult time choosing food?" I questioned her.

"Hey, what do you mean?" she snapped as she approached me, the strawberry ice cream cone in her hand.

"It took you long enough to choose a flavor," I told her, making my way towards a nearby bench and took a seat. Ino mirrored my moves.

"Hey, I'm picky!" she confessed, taking a lick of her ice cream.

"As already established…." I nodded.

"So, whatcha wanna talk about?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I dunno," I answered simply. "I'm not the type to start a conversation."

"Oh, okay, I guess _I'll_ start. Um…what type of guys do you like?"

I shifted my gaze towards her and gave her a blank stare. "I believe you've already asked me that, remember?"

Ino let out a sheepish chuckle as she smacked her forehead. "Oh, yeah!"

I shook my head at this. "Okay, I guess that question will go to you. What type of guys do _you _like?" _I can't believe I even __**asked **__that! God, I sounded like a typical schoolgirl! Crap!_

At that moment, Ino placed her hand under her chin and thought about what I had asked, which really surprised me that she was actually _thinking_. "Well…." she started. Just then, she smacked her fist on the palm on her hand. "He has to be hot!"

I cocked my head to the side and sweat dropped, giving her a dull stare. "_Shallow_ much?" I questioned her monotonously.

"What! I don't want to date _ugly _guys!" she spat.

I rolled my eyes at her comment. "Looks can be deceiving, Ino," I reminded her. "I'm talking _personality _wise."

"Oh! Why didn't you say so! Well, he has to be really nice and caring."

"So…does it really matter to you if he's good looking or not, as long as he's a nice guy?"

"I, uh, guess so…."

"Okay then." I took a bite of my ice cream, my front teeth numb from the bitter coldness. "Well, are there any nice guys in this village?"

Ino shrugged. "I dunno. I was looking at hot guys the whole time."

I hung my head and sweat dropped. _Hopeless…. _I thought. "You should probably open your eyes and find a nice guy, Ino…."

She shrugged again as she took a bite of her ice cream and stood up. "Uh, yeah, whatever. You ready to head on home, Dani?"

I blinked at this in confusion as I involuntarily stood up. "Uh, sure…." As I followed her home, many thoughts clouded my very brain. _I can't believe Ino hasn't found a nice guy for her, _I thought. _I'm mean, sure, she could be a narcissist who's a bit superficial, but she's actually a nice person and deserves to be with a guy who'll make her happy. Someone who— _I stopped at my tracks when an idea popped into my mind. _Someone who isn't the best looking guy, yet very sweet and understand….That's it! _"Uh, Ino! Meet me at the park in one hour!" I called, sprinting my way opposite from home.

"Hey, where are going?" she called from a distance, obviously confused.

Since I was already running, I didn't bother answering her. _Damn! I'm __**really **__going to take the role as a matchmaker! _I thought. _Dammit, Ino! At this rate, I'm never going to hang out with you ever again! _I stopped for a minute and looked around, panting from all that running. _I need __**his **__help, _I thought again as I started to move, power walking instead of running. _If I was a lazy Chunin, where would I be…? Ah, ha! Clouds! _Upon thinking that, I made my way towards the village exit, but not long before I found Shikamaru, the one person I was looking for, making his way back into the village while yawning loudly and lazily. At the moment I laid eyes on him, I started sprinting once again. "Hey! Shikamaru!" I called.

My voice finally caught his attention, for he saw me running my way towards him. "Uh, Dani? What are you—?"

"Come with me," I told him in a hasty manner, locking his arm with mine as I dragged him along, occasionally catching a glimpse of the villagers gawking at me in a strange manner.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing and why are you dragging me—? Troublesome girl…." he whined, nothing surprising, really.

I groaned in aggravation due to his complaining and stopped walking, though my arm was still locked with his. "I need your help—"

"Not interested," he interrupted as he was about to walk away, though I stopped him by tightening my grip on him.

"Dammit, Shikamaru, listen to me," I told him in a harsh manner. "I just had this crazy idea."

He cocked up an eyebrow. "Go on…?"

With my arm still linked onto his, I raised my other arm and pointed my index finger towards him. "It's about Ino and Chouji. Can you help me make it work?"

Shikamaru blinked a few times at my request, and then pulled my hand away. "What suddenly triggered this idea of yours?" he questioned me.

I thought for a minute. "Well," I began, "Ino has done so much for me and I just want to repay her somehow...by getting her a boyfriend."

"But _Chouji_?" he started. "Dani, it's never going to work. Ino's _way _too shallow."

"I already know that, but I'm trying to make her open her eyes and think _outside_ the box. So are you gonna help me or not?"

"I really don't see the point. It's not gonna work out."

I glowered at him. "It's worth a shot. We won't know unless we try."

Shikamaru sighed heavily with annoyance and frustration. "If I say yes, will you stop being so damned persistent…?"

I grinned widely as I finally decided to release his arm from my grasp. "Yeah. Thanks."

"So, um, what do we do?"

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"Oi, Shikamaru, can you hear me?" Dani questioned me through the earpiece in my ear. After giving in to her plan, we both commenced to action. To communicate with her, we both spoke through tiny, unnoticeable microphones to keep in contact with one another.

"Loud and clear, so what am I supposed to do?" I asked standing in the village square as she located herself somewhere else.

"Go look for Chouji," Dani instructed. "After starting a conversation with him, I'll throw in a couple of questions for you to ask him. Easy."

I scoffed at her explanation. "Dammit, Dani, I wish you weren't so damned troublesome…."

"Well, I guess I'll take that as a complement," she coolly replied. "Now, where do you suppose Chouji is?"

"How should _I _know?" I asked her.

"Well, you _are_ his best friend," she told me.

"So? It doesn't mean I have to follow his every move," I scoffed.

"Touché….Well, where do you think he'd be?"

"Hell should _I _know…?" I shrugged as I started walking off.

"Come on, Shikamaru, use that brain of yours," she groaned in annoyance.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, I'll try to look for—" I stopped walking when I found Chouji walking out of a shop with a bag of chips in his hand. Convenient, right? "Oi, Chouji!" I called.

At that moment, Chouji turned his head and caught sight of me making my way towards him. He grinned widely. "Yo!" he greeted, waving at me.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked him.

Chouji shrugged as he started digging through his bag of chips and started munching on them. "Nothing much," he answered, muffling his words through chewing on his chips.

"Cool, cool. Hey, can we talk for a minute?"

"Hm? What for? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just gotta ask you something." _'Kay, Dani, you can ask away now!_

"Psst, Shikamaru, ask him what kind of girls he goes for," Dani whispered to me through my earpiece.

"That's kinda rushed, don't you think…?" I whispered back, preventing Chouji from hearing me.

"Well, you aren't making an effort of starting a decent conversation, so why not?" she replied.

"Erm…Shikamaru, are you talking to yourself…?" Chouji questioned me as he glanced over to me, giving me an odd stare.

"Eh, yeah, sure, whatever," I shrugged. "Anyways, uh, what type of girl do you go for, anyway?" _The fuck, man? I sound so completely out of character when I asked that. How troublesome…._

Chouji gave me another odd look, only this time, he cocked up an eyebrow. "Uh, Shikamaru, are you feeling alright today?"

I shrugged at his questioning. "What? I can't ask random questions when I want to?"

"Uh, whatever, but I guess I can answer your question. Well, I like girls who are nice and unselfish, and won't go for outward appearances."

My eyebrow twitched at his answer. _That's __**definitely**__ not Ino…. _I thought. "Oh, I see…."

"Yeah, but for some reason, I found myself falling for someone who at first glance may not have those qualities." I gawked at him, wondering who this mystery woman was, so I stayed quiet and continued to listen. "It may seem like she's the complete opposite of what I want in a girl, but I know deep down, she's probably the nicest person anyone could ever meet."

"Erm…mind telling who…?"

At that moment, Chouji blushed slightly as he scratched his head in a nervous manner. "W-well…you won't believe me if I tell you…."

I shrugged. "I don't see why I wouldn't…."

With that said, Chouji sighed heavily and scratched his head again. "Well…." he started. "The person I like is…Ino…."

Upon hearing this, my eyes nearly popped out of my eye sockets, and I could tell Dani was just as shocked as I was, for I heard a gasp coming from her. "You're…kidding, right?" I questioned him, still shocked beyond belief.

"Why would I joke around about something like that?" he questioned me. Just then, he started rummaging through his pocket. "I've liked her for a very long time now," he continued as he pulled something from his pocket. He revealed a very lovely light pink pendant that hung from a stunning gold chain. "I even got _this_ for her. I just don't know when to give it to her…."

_Wow…he's really serious about this, huh…? _I thought, gazing at the pendant. _Hm…. _"Hey, Chouji," I started, "Dani told Ino to meet her at the park in a few minutes, so you could give it to her there."

Chouji's eyes widen at my request. "You think so?"

I nodded. "I don't see why not?"

Chouji grinned happily as he nodded a few times. "Yeah! Yeah! I'll do it! Thanks, Shikamaru!" he thanked as he quickly ran towards the direction to the park.

I just stood there motionless. "Wow…." I started. "So he likes Ino, huh? _That's_ a surprise…."

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Wait for it…." I started, crouched behind a bundle of bushes as I stared at Shikamaru through the leaves. "Now." I stood up from the ground and shook some leaves off my head. "Oi, Shikamaru!" I called, waving to him.

He glanced back towards me as I struggled to get out of the bushes. "You were there the whole time?" he questioned me as I made my way towards him.

"Of course I was," I replied. "I had to watch you guys somehow, right? So, Chouji likes Ino, huh?"

"As weird as it seems, yeah."

I grinned widely at this. "That's great." Immediately, my grin turned into a frown. "But as far as we know of, his affections are very one sided. I wonder if Ino will even know how he feels…?"

"Well, whatever the outcome is, I hope he doesn't get his heart broken."

During that passing moment of silence, I silently grabbed his hand. He froze at my actions. "Come on, let's go check it out," I suggested, pulling on his arm as I dragged him to the park.

"Can you stop dragging me everywhere, troublesome girl?" he groaned in aggravation.

I rolled my eyes at his complaining. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Now follow." So there I was, making my way towards the park while hauling an unenthusiastic Shikamaru. When we finally reached there, I came behind a few bushes and ducked down, dragging Shikamaru down with me.

"Erm…we're _spying_ on them…?" Shikamaru questioned me as I rummaged through my bag for my glasses.

"I don't see why not?" I shrugged, pulling my glasses from out of my bag and putting them on. Moments after, I felt Shikamaru's eyes on me. "Erm…can I help you…?" I questioned him, glaring at him a bit.

I saw him tense up at my question, and I could've sworn I saw a very light, unnoticeable blush grazing across his cheeks. "Um, uh, nothing…." he stammered, turning his head away from me. I shrugged as I pulled my gaze away from his, that is, until I heard him mutter something under his breath, something I believe that was along the lines of, "You look cute with glasses….". "Hm? What was that?" I questioned him, glancing back towards him again.

"Nothing…." he muttered.

I decided to ignore this as I turned away from him again, but only to find Ino walking in my sight. "Hey, it's Ino," I whispered to Shikamaru as we sat there and watched.

Ino stood there in the heart of the park, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips puckered into a pout. "Dammit, Dani, you told me to come here…." she grumbled. "Now where the hell are ya?" She just stood there, tapping her foot roughly on the ground impatiently, grunting in aggravation until she had just about had it. "That's it, I'm outta here. Thanks for nothing, Dani…." she muttered as she started to walk off, until….

"Hey, Ino!" Ino stopped walking and turned around, only to find Chouji slowly and bashfully making his way towards her.

"Huh? Chouji? Hey, what's up?" she questioned him, blinking a few times with wonder written all over her face.

Chouji chuckled sheepishly, a light blush grazing through his cheeks. "Oh, nothing, really. Shikamaru told me I'd find you here and—"

"Wait, how the heck does _he_ know I would be here?" Ino wondered suspiciously.

That was when Shikamaru and I saw Chouji panicking upon hearing this. "Um, uh, lucky guess?" he lied, trying his best to come up with an excuse.

Ino scoffed at this as she shook her head. "I think Dani told him." She then leaned inward towards Chouji and held her hand to her lips as though she was telling him a secret. "You think those two are off doing…_sexual _things behind our backs?"

Upon hearing this, Shikamaru and I glowered at her. "What the hell…?" Shikamaru started.

"Ino, you idiot…." I grumbled, blushing a bit. The two of us continued to listen on.

Chouji cocked up an eyebrow at this. "Erm…no…?" he replied.

"Oh, come on! It would be so scandalous!" Ino squealed, clasping her hands together excitedly.

Shikamaru sweat dropped at this. "Troublesome. Now she's talking from out of her ass—"

"Sh!" I harshly silenced. He groaned as a reply as we continued eavesdropping on the two.

Chouji blinked a few times at her response and then sweat dropped and sighed forcefully. "Erm…sure, Ino…."

Ino pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I guess I should get going since there's no point of staying here….I'll see you later, Chouji…." With that said, she started walking off.

"W-wait, Ino…." Chouji called blushingly, gaining some confidence.

Ino stopped walking and looked back towards him, her back still facing him. "Yeah?"

At that moment, Shikamaru and I expected Chouji to fess up and tell her how he felt, or at least give her the pendant he had bought for her, but he didn't. "Erm, do you, uh, want me to walk you home?" he timidly offered, scratching his head nervously.

Ino blinked a few times at his request, but then grinned cheekily and waved. "Nah, I'm good. See ya!" With that said, she skipped her way towards home, leaving Chouji standing there at the park sighing heavily.

"Dammit…." he cursed, kicking a pebble that sat in front of him. "Oh, well, better luck next time, I suppose…." he shrugged as he started his way home.

Groaning forcefully, Shikamaru stood up, wiping some dirt off his clothes. "Troublesome. That was a waste of time…." he sighed.

Nodding, I took off my glasses and placed them back into my glasses case. "Poor Chouji…." I said in sympathy, standing up, as well. "Do you think he'll gain enough confidence?"

"Beats me…." he shrugged. He then turned to me. "Dani, I don't think we should interfere with this. It doesn't make us any better than them when they tried to hook _us _up, remember?"

Remembering, I gazed at the ground. "Oh, yeah….I forgot about…."

"That's what I thought." Silence took over for a while. "Hey…." he started, breaking the silence.

I looked up and started at him. "Yeah?"

At this, he turned he head away from me. "Troublesome….It's getting late. Want me…to walk you home?"

I didn't reply right away. _Did he really ask me that? _I thought, surprised. Assuming that my silence meant as a "no", Shikamaru started to walk off, that is, until I stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Okay," I answered, grinning.

With that said, he nodded, releasing his arm from my grasp and started off. "Come on, let's go," he told me as I followed. Not long after we started walking, I caught him reaching into his pocket and saw him pulling out a box of cigarettes…this guy….

Sighing forcefully, I reached my arm out and grabbed the box. "No cancer sticks for you when _I'm _around…." I told him, my eyebrow twitching. "Wait until you take me home…."

At my scolding, Shikamaru turned his head from and scoffed quietly, "Troublesome…."

**(A/N: I know! This chapter sucks monkey bums! -bows- I'm sorry! My brain isn't functioning properly at the moment. I promise I'll try to put more excitement to this story, perhaps have the characters go on a mission. What do you think? Anyways, if you guys have any bright ideas on missions or whatever, please contact me by PMing me. Summer really is a killer. And after finishing the next chapter, I'm probably going to work on the third installment on my other Naruto fanfiction. Well, read and review, everyone and PM me if you have any ideas! Let me know for the next week, otherwise, I'll think of something on my own. I'll pick out whatever idea I like best if I get any. If I don't pick your idea, please don't feel disappointed. I may use it for a chapter later on or use part of it in the next chapter. I hope I dont lose any readers for this...-sweat drop-)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	15. New Mission: Easy or Not?

Chapter 15

New Mission: Easy or Not?

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(A/N: Hi, guys! Many apologies for taking so long to update! I finally have the next chapter up! Enjoy! And many thanks to the people that gave me ideas! 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 14..._**

**Binti: **Thanks! Hope you like this chapter!

**Shinkutsuki: **Thank you! And thanks for the idea you gave me. What I did was combine your idea with someone elses idea. I hope you like it!

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you. I don't know why I felt that way, to be honest with you. -sweat drop-

**Luna.the.betrayed.ninja: **Thanks, and that's okay. I hope you like this chapter!

**Kiss and Cry: **Ha, ha. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it, and i hope you like this chapter just as much!

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Thanks. And here's your update! -smiles-

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Oi, Dani! Dani! Wake up!" Ino's faded voice called, shaking me to wake me up. I refused to open my eyes, though the sunlight was bugging my eyes. I stirred a bit in my sleep.

"Mm, go away…." I muffled in the pillow, tiredly waving my hand at her.

I heard her groan forcefully at my response. "You woke up right away _yesterday_," she grumbled.

Sighed heavily, I had just enough strength to lift my head up and glare at her tiredly. "That's because you promised me that you'd come with me to the library."

She sweat dropped at this as she glanced over to the neatly piled manga and novels on my floor. "You must really like to read for you to waste a bunch of money," she assumed.

Rolling my eyes, I plopped my head back onto the pillow. "Yes, I do, now unless it's something important, let me freaking sleep…." Hearing her grumble under her breath, she tugged onto my bed sheet, though I didn't pay any mind to it, until she tugged it roughly enough to cause me to plummet to the ground. "Ow!" I yelped, rubbing my backside. "What was _that _for!"

"Shut up. Tsunade-sama has a mission for us. Now get dressed." With that said, she made her way out of my bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Grunting, I shakily stood up, still rubbing my backside. "Bitch…."

* * *

"So…Tsunade has a mission for us?" I questioned Team 10 as I followed them down the narrow hallway towards Tsunade's office. 

"Yeah, which is why I was trying to wake you up this morning," Ino answered.

"But…." I started, quietly. "What do you guys need _me _for? Didn't she say 'Team 10'?"

"_No_….She said 'Team 10 plus the Dani'. Those were her exact words," Chouji replied.

"What? What would _I _do? I basically did absolutely nothing on our mission to help out Hikari," I reminded them, aggravated a bit.

"You _have _been studying medical ninjutsu under Shizune, right…?" Shikamaru questioned me in his usually tedious drone.

"Yeah…?"

"Well, there you go. Tsunade probably assumes that you'd come in handy." We had all remained silent the rest of the walk towards Tsunade's office. As we stepped into her office, she let out a sigh in relief.

"About time you guys showed up," she grouchily told us.

Ino scratched her scalp as she chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh, sorry, but Dani wouldn't wake up on time…."

My eyebrow twitched at her explanation. _Blaming on me, eh? Thanks a lot, Ino…. _I thought.

"Anyways, you said something about a mission…?" Shikamaru dully questioned the Hokage.

"Ah, yes, your mission," Tsunade nodded, clearing her throat. "You see, I ran out of sake this morning and—"

"Um, excuse me, but what does this have to do with our mission?" Chouji wondered, raising his hand politely.

"Simple. The Rice Country has high quality rice, which is the main ingredient to create one of the finest sake I've ever tasted. Your job is to head for the Rice Country and get some rice so that I could make myself the greatest freaking sake I've ever had. Shizune wants me to be sober, but the hell with it!"

Shikamaru and I remained silent as Ino and Chouji began to spaz at her request. "You want us to _what_!" Chouji hollered.

"So you're saying our mission is to get some rice for your precious sake so that you could get bent!" Ino barked, angered by the ridiculous mission.

With a sigh, I shrugged my shoulders. "What's the big deal? It's just a mission."

"But it's not exciting at all!" Chouji argued.

"Enough!" Tsunade snapped, slamming her hands violently on her desk, causing us, including Shikamaru, to jump. "Look, it's that simple. All you have to do is go to the Rice Country, get rice, and return here to Konoha. So get moving!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Man, I can't believe this! She's making us go onto some mission to a different country just to get some rice for her so that she could make herself some sake!" Ino complained loudly. After Tsunade told us what our mission was, we immediately started to set out. Shikamaru and I were in the lead while Chouji and Ino tailed behind. We had just left the village and already, the two were complaining about our "ridiculous" mission. 

"It's stupid, I know…." Chouji nodded in agreement.

"I say we go on strike!" she declared, punching the air.

Shikamaru and I continued walking ahead, trying to ignore them as best as we could. "If they're complaining so much, then why did they bother coming? Troublesome…." Shikamaru groaned in aggravation.

I nodded as I glanced back towards them. "If they decided not to go, Tsunade would've probably killed them for that," I assumed.

"Point taken…." he agreed.

"Hey! Wait up, guys! You're walking too fast for us!" Chouji hollered as he and Ino ran to catch up with Shikamaru and me.

"Then try picking up the pace a little…." Shikamaru suggested, rolling his eyes.

I didn't add to Shikamaru's comment. I glanced up towards the cloudless sky as my hair gracefully danced with the soft breeze. "Well, at least there's an unlikely chance that we will be in some sort of fight…." I pointed out in tranquility.

"_That's_ the truth…." Ino groaned in relief. "All we have to do is travel for a couple of days, get what we need, and go home. Easy."

_Later…._

"Okay, guys, we've been traveling all day. I say we set up camp," Shikamaru suggested. The four of us had all been traveling to the Rice Country nonstop. I didn't know how close or far we were to getting there, but nightfall had already taken over the skies, so we pretty much had no choice but to stop and rest in the deep, murky forest.

"Oh, _finally_! Now we can eat!" Chouji sighed in relief, placing his hand on his growling stomach. "Hey, Dani, are we gonna make those 's'mores' things you mentioned before?"

Nodding my head, I placed my backpack on the ground and grinned. "Yup."

"But first we need to get some firewood…." Shikamaru told us. "I guess I'll go find some."

"Alright, be careful, would ya?" I warned him, concern hinting in my voice.

"Yeah, yeah…." he slothfully replied, disappearing into the woods.

I turned my head back towards Chouji and Ino, only to find Ino smirked mischievously. I gave her a look. "What?"

"Looking after Shikamaru's welfare, eh, Dani? That's _so _adorable," Ino awed.

I rolled my eyes at this and turned my head away. "Idiot. I would've said the same thing to _Chouji _or any _other _person, so quit making stupid assumptions like that…."

"Okay, okay, _sorry_. Sheesh…."

"Okay, guys, I'm back," a familiar voice called from behind us. We turned around and found Shikamaru standing there with a bundle of firewood tucked beneath his arm and—well, what do you know?—a lit cig that rested between his lips.

Ino's eyes widen at his sudden appearance. "_That _was fast…." she uttered, her eye twitching a bit.

_A bit later…._

"Wow. The stars tonight sure are beautiful…." I sighed dreamily, gazing at the stars. A little while after we ate, Chouji and Ino drifted to sleep while Shikamaru and I stayed up and gazed at the stars in front of the open fire that blazed in front of our feet.

"Yeah…I guess…." Shikamaru nodded, blowing out smoke that came from inhaling his cigarette. The aroma that I had loathed for quite some time had suddenly become so…intoxicating.

With a smile tugging my lips, I shifted my gaze towards Chouji and Ino, who were asleep with a box of graham crackers and bags of chocolate and marshmallows in their arms. "Look like those two have become obsessed with s'mores," I giggled.

"Uh, huh…."

I glanced back towards him, watching the smoke gracefully glide its way towards the sky, though it gradually vanished before it got too far towards the sky. "Hey, just out of curiosity, do you know how to make smoke rings?" I randomly asked.

He turned to me, giving me an awkward stare. "Erm…yeah." After inhaling his cigarette, which is getting tinier by the minute, he exhaled more some, only this time, he formed tiny smoke rings.

I nodded my head, somewhat impressed by what he did. "Impressive," I complimented.

He merely shrugged, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and dropping it on the ground. He stepped on the remains. "Well, I'm gonna head off to sleep, so good night." Before he got up, I hastily grasped onto his arm. He gaped at me questionably. "What?"

"Just stay up with me a little longer," I pleaded. "I just have this need to talk to someone right now."

Groaning forcefully, he pulled his arm away from my grasp. "Fine…troublesome…." he complained, staring at the stars.

Upon hearing his complaining, a warm smile tugged my lips.

_Days later…._

A few days had passed since our departure from Konoha. Nothing exciting happened during our journey, to be quite honest. We didn't come across any enemies or anything. All we basically did was travel all day, stop to eat when we were hungry, and set up camp at night when we needed sleep. In a matter of days, we finally made it to the Rice Country. After staying at a hotel for a night, we set off in search for the rice Tsunade needed to make her sake. It didn't take us long, since we found what we were looking for in the rice fields. After retrieving what we needed, we decided to set off home.

"Wow! I can't believe that mission was so easy!" Chouji laughed in triumph.

"There was no point to this mission at all!" Ino complained. "All we had to do was run some stupid errand for Tsunade just so that she could have some sake!"

Shikamaru shook his head at her complaining. "Will you just relax, Ino? You should be happy that this mission didn't involve troublesome fights and whatnot."

"Aw, but it was so boring!" Ino replied, sulking.

"Well, we've got what we needed, so at least we're gonna go home and sleep in our comfy beds…well, in a few days, that is…." I assured.

"And at least Tsunade will be happy, so she'll probably reward us with something," Chouji told us in a hopeful manner.

Shikamaru merely chuckled at this. "Somehow, I doubt it," he assumed.

Ino huffed coldly. "It's still a waste of a trip, though…."

At this, I groaned forcefully as I rested my hand on her shoulder. "That'll do, Ino. That'll do…."

"Yeah, Ino, it's nothing to get worked up over," Chouji chuckled.

"Of course it is!" she protested. "What a waste of a trip! Erm…whatcha doing, Shikamaru?"

And there he was, resting on a log while lighting a cigarette that was sticking out of his mouth. He turned to face us, the smoke coming from the cigarette nearly clouding a part of his face. "We should rest," he suggested.

I gaped at him questionably. "Huh? Why? It's not dark out yet and—?"

"We've already gotten what we needed," he explained. "It's not as though we're in a rush right now. Resting up would probably be a good thing."

Despite what he was saying was true, Ino still protested at the matter. "No way!" she barked, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout. "We should keep on moving so that we'll be home faster!"

Chouji let out a loud groan as he collapsed to the ground, his hand resting on his chest. "Naw, I think Shikamaru's right," he sighed tiredly.

"What! No, just no! Come on, Dani, _we'll _go instead!" Ino started walking and expected me to follow her. She couldn't have been more wrong, for I just stood there, staring at her. When she finally realized that I wasn't mirroring her moves, she turned around and faced me. "Well, are you coming?"

Blinking at her question, I slowly raised my arm and pointed my finger towards Shikamaru. "I'm gonna go with the man with the 200 IQ and rest up," I told her.

Ino's eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets upon hearing my reply. "Are you serious, Dani!" she snapped. Not responding right away, I approached towards Shikamaru and sat on the log beside him.

I raised my arms up in a shrug. "Sorry, Ino."

She growled at this, but soon after, let out a loud sigh in defeat. "Fine, fine…."

_That night…._

(Shikamaru's point of view)

"_Shit, man! This tent is crowded!"_

I heard a voice that interrupted my dreams, but my eyes refuse to open, for I was trapped in my state of slumber.

"_Hm….Let's see what they have here…."_

The mysterious voice spoke up again. This time, I heard something different, sounds of someone rummaging through our stuff.

"_Hey, I found some rice! This will come in handy!"_

The hell? Maybe this is all just a dream….

"_Hm….In the meantime…maybe I could kidnap these ladies, as well…._

As soon as I felt a cold hand on my shoulder, that was when I knew….This was no dream. I just had to wake up. "Mm…the hell?" I uttered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"Gah! You're a _guy_!" I tiredly shifted my gaze forward and found a scruffy looking man, who looked a few years my senior, gaping at me with utter shock. He didn't seem much of a threat, with his tattered clothing and his unkempt dark hair. His brown eyes were practically popping out of his eye sockets.

I gave him a look. "Erm, yeah…." I shifted my gaze towards the rice that was in his grip. "Erm, what are you doing with our rice?"

Just then, Chouji, who was sleeping, suddenly sat up while scratching his head. "Hm…what's going on, Shikamaru?" he questioned me.

"You're a guy, too!" the stranger hollered.

Chouji blinked a few times at his holler. "Erm, yeah…? We're guys. The only girls here are the two girls in the tent next to ours—"

"Shut up, Chouji!" I snapped, covering his mouth with my hand. But it was two late. After hearing the words "girls" and "tent next to ours", a sly smirk appeared on the stranger's lips, and before long, he hurriedly made his way out of our ten. In aggravation, I uncovered Chouji's mouth. "Chouji! Why would you even tell him that!" I barked.

"Well, _sorry_!" he argued. Suddenly, we heard a pair of screams coming from outside. Those screams….

"Dani…." I uttered with fear as I hurried my way out of the tent with Chouji following behind. We both ran towards the girls' tent and opened it, only to find it empty. "Shit!" I cursed.

Chouji stared into the empty tent with fear clouding in his dark eyes. "Ino…." he whimpered. He then turned towards me. "Ino's in trouble. We've got to do something!"

Nodding, I fell into my state of thought, formulating a plan….

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Gah! Who are you and what are you gonna do with us!" Ino barked, fidgeting in the ropes that were bound around her and me. Just a minute ago, Ino and I were sound asleep in our tents. Next thing we knew, some stranger, who was holding us hostage, abducted us.

The stranger chuckled menacingly as he dangled the bag of rice in his hand. "Be patient, ladies. We'll have fun in no time," he chuckled, placing the bag of rice behind him.

I shuddered in utter disgust. _Repulsive…. _I thought. _Where the hell is Shikamaru?_ The stranger continued chatting away, but his words were inaudible to me, only because I dozed off to his chatting. Glancing behind him, I saw something that caught my eye; Shikamaru and Chouji were there tiptoeing their way towards the bag of rice. Ino was about to shout in happiness, but I nudged her to stop before she had the chance to. The two finally completely their little quest, and slowly stepped backwards, but not long before Chouji accidentally tripped over his own feet, causing him to fall on his back. Upon hearing that loud thud, the stranger hastily turned his head to find the two.

"Oh, snap!" Chouji gasped, grasping onto the bag tightly in his grip as he scrambled to his feet. That was when the two sprinted off with the stranger tailing behind them.

"Wha—! Hey, you bastards, get back here!" Ino hollered, spazing in her place.

Rolling my eyes, I attempted to wiggle my way out of the ropes. "Don't worry about it. They were just distracting that guy so that we could escape," I explained.

"Huh? Well, how do _you _know, huh?" she questioned me, her eyes clouding with amazement as she watched me worm my way out of the ropes, giving her the opportunity to make her easy escape as well.

"Trust me, I know," I assured her, watching her standing up as the rope that was bound around her waist gracefully made its way down her body. "Should we go to them and see if they're all right?" I wondered.

"Yeah, and to make sure nothing happens to the bag. Tsunade will have our heads if something were to happen to her precious rice…." she agreed. Both nodding, the two of us hurried our way towards where our boys and that stranger was heading. Before long, we finally found our boys…but found them in a condition we had least expected. The stranger, who we had labeled as nothing more than a perverted thief, was holding a beaten up Chouji by the collar of his shirt and then chucking him to the ground beside him. Tiny puddles of blood tainted the lush grass…and a blood soaked body lying unconsciously on the ground…oh god, no….

"Shi-Shikamaru…?" I stammered, shocked.

Ino turned to me, gazing at me with sympathy. "This guy isn't just your average pick pocket. He must also be a shinobi…and a good one, too….Go to Shikamaru. I'll deal with Chouji. Just be careful," she advised.

Nodding, I quickly made my way towards Shikamaru's unconscious body, though I knew that the stranger was chasing after me. Not long after, I felt that he wasn't chasing me anymore. I didn't bother looking back, but kept on moving forward. I was confident that Ino was handling him. "Shikamaru!" I called, finally reaching to his side. Kneeling down beside him, I frantically shook him, hoping to wake him. "Come on, Shikamaru, wake up! Please, speak to me! Open your eyes!" I pleaded. Tears slowly clouded my eyes, though they refused to fall. Thinking quickly, I placed my hands on his blood soaked Chunin vest and began the process of healing him. "Come on, Shikamaru, you've got to hang in there…." I uttered, my hands trembling. "Please…do it for me….Please—"

I halted my pleading. I didn't continue because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't find my voice after that moment. My entire body trembled as my eyes shifted towards a pair of feet that stood in front of Shikamaru's body…the feet that belonged to the stranger. Blood trickled down my lips. My vision blurred. I refused to look down at my abdomen, which was pulsing in pain, and possibly covered with blood, since that man stabbed me with something that went through my body. My vision was weakening. "Dani!!" I heard Ino cry faintly. I was starting to black out, but not long before seeing Shikamaru's unconscious face for one last time….

* * *

"_Dani-chan…? Are you awake…?"_

A familiar voice spoke softly to me, though I saw nothing, nothing but darkness, for I was in a dark abyss.

"_It's me, Shizune."_

I knew that voice was familiar to my ears. It was my sensei. I just had to open my eyes. I had to know where I was and escape from the dark prison I was in. I slowly fluttered my eyes open, only to be blinded by the ceiling lights, though Shizune's head did manage to block the lights a bit. I turned my head slightly to face her. "Sensei…?" I started, though I was still a little disoriented.

Shizune smiled brightly at this. "Dani-chan! You're alright!" I blinked questionably. "Oh, I'm guessing you're wondering where you are?" Shizune assume. "You're at the hospital, Dani-chan. You've been here for three days now. Tsunade-sama summoned the ANBU to follow you guys to make sure you're all right. They found you and Shikamaru-kun unconscious. As for that man who attacked you, he's dead, so you have nothing to worry about. Chouji and Ino are just fine, as well. They're home."

Suddenly, I turned my head to the side, but to my horror, I saw the last thing I wanted to see; an IV in my arm. Whimpering, I turned my head to the other side, but saw something that didn't make up for the other horrible sight. There was another bed in this room all along, and the person lying there was none other than Shikamaru, who was still knocked out. "Shi-Shikamaru…." I weakly called as my hand slowly reached out for him.

Sighing deeply, Shizune grabbed my hand and set it on the bed. "He's just fine," she assured. "He actually woke up before you did, since his injuries weren't as severe as yours. I think you saved him, Dani. The ANBU could tell that he was healed a little when they arrived. He could've been in worse condition, but thanks to you, he's just fine. I talked to him earlier, and he told me he owes you big time."

Smiling warmly, I closed my eyes again. "Thank you…." Before long, I fell back asleep, feeling at ease….

_Later that day…._

(Normal point of view)

"How's your student doing, Shizune, any better?" Tsunade questioned Shizune, who was standing in her office.

Shizune nodded, holding Tonton, the pig, tightly in her arms. "Yes. Thank goodness, too."

At that moment, Tsunade grinningly held up the bag of rice the team had retrieved from their mission. "Those kids did a hell of a job getting this for me. Mission accomplished." Tsunade got up from her desk and made her way towards the exit, but stopped when she stood beside Shizune. "Not only that," she continued, "but my other plan has worked."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Shizune wondered.

"That mission helped those two, Dani and Shikamaru, become closer. Now, don't you think those two would make an adorable couple?" Without seeing Shizune's reaction, Tsunade exited her office.

Shizune just stood there, dazed and confused. "Wow…." she started. "Tsunade-sama expected many things from this mission, huh, Tonton?"

The only reply she received from the little pig was a squeal.

**(A/N: Well, there you have it, guys! And guess what! A preview of the next chapter! A few days later, Dani is in better shape, but is still in the hospital. Shikamaru comes and visits her. The two have a conversation and he reveals something that shocks Dani, and quite possibly, even upsets her a little. I won't spoil it for you, so you're just going to have to wait. Along with working on that chapter, I'll also be working on the sequel of _My Life With You_, which is called _History's Repetition._ Well, read and review, everyone!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	16. Uncalled For Discovery

Chapter 16

Uncalled For Discovery

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(A/N: Hi, guys. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. It's been crazy. I just got a job and I've been busy. Not to mention an unfortunate event took place about a week ago. My cousin got killed in a car accident and it was a bit difficult for me to concentrate. So, as a result, this chapter is pretty short and I don't think it's all that great. I apologize if it's not good. I've been frustrated. I promise to make the net chapter better.) 

_**For those of you who reviewed chapter 15...**_

**Shinkutsuki: **Heh, heh, yeah. Well, I've finally updated. I apologize if this chapter isn't any good.

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Yeah. Hm...that actually would've been good idea. Why didn't I think of it? Ha, ha.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Ha, ha. Thanks! Here's your update.

**Binti: **Thanks. Looks like you'll find out in this chapter.

**booklover111: **Thank you. And about Shikamaru smoking, he actually starts smoking in the Naruto manga that isn't released in America yet. Here's your update.

**Kiss and Cry: **Many thanks to you. Her's your update. I hope you like it.

**freyamihara911: **Oh, hiya! Long time no speak! Anyways, thanks! I'm about to post the sequel of _My Life With You_ very soon.

**Maki Hayashi: **Thank you. :D And I'm an authoress, by the way. I hope you like this chapter.

**Kamata Tomoe: **Thanks. Here's your update.

**darklight: **Thanks. Hope you like this chapter.

(A/N: Wow. I've gotten lots of reviews. Hopefully I get this many more often.)

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(Dani's point of view) 

"Getting tired of visitors, Chiba-san?" the nurse questioned me, standing before the bed I was sitting on. It had already been over a week. I was no longer disoriented, and this was my final day at the hospital. I was to leave the next morning. Since Shikamaru's injuries weren't as bad as mine, he was released from the hospital early, but he would still return to visit me, along with others who knew me well.

Sighing, I leaned back a little, allowing the soft pillow to cushion my back. "A little," I replied, "but it's the thought that counts."

"That's true," the nurse agreed, nodding her head a little. "Oh, Nara-san is going to stop by in a few minutes, and afterwards, that blonde boy will swing by, as well. I think he's taken a liking of you."

I cocked up an eyebrow at this. "Who, _Naruto_? I doubt it. He likes Sakura and—"

"I was talking about Nara-san," the nurse corrected, interrupting my explanation.

"_Him_? Nah, we're just friends," I assured her.

The nurse smiled softly at my response. "You two seem really close," she told me.

I shrugged at this. "I guess…."

Upon the moment of silence came a gentle knock on the door. "Oh! That must be him right now," the nurse assumed as she made her way towards the door. Before opening the door, she turned her head towards me and smirked. "I'll leave you two alone for a while." With that said, she finally opened the door. There stood Shikamaru holding a rather large paper bag in his hand. "Why hello, Nara-san, come on in," the nurse greeted, shifting out of the way as Shikamaru stepped into the room. Grinning, the nurse left the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey." With a small smirk, Shikamaru made his way towards me, sitting on the chair that was set beside my bed.

"Hey," I repeated, sitting up a little. My eyes glanced down towards the bag he was holding. "Whatcha got there?" I wondered.

"Well," he started, rummaging through the bag, "Ino told me that you had a certain favorite fruit, so," He then pulled out a box of plump and juicy strawberries. "I got you these."

Now, he was right that strawberries were my favorite fruit. Not only that, but they were also my favorite food. My eyes lit up at the sight of the succulent berries. "You got those for me?" I whimpered in delight, taking the strawberries from his grasp.

"Yeah, I figured you'd be hungry," he shrugged. From the corner of my eye, I found him rummaging through the bag once again. "I also got you this." With that said, he pulled out my laptop, my precious laptop.

My eyes practically bulged out of my eye sockets. "But how? Ino wasn't going to let me use my laptop until I got out of the hospital. How'd you get it?"

"Eh, I have my ways. I got Chouji to give it to me."

"Great." I turned to him. "So, um, how are your injuries?" I questioned him, gazing at his bandaged arm.

"They're better," he replied. "I could've been in worse condition. Thanks for healing me. I owe you one."

"Oh, it was nothing…." I uttered as I sheepishly scratched my head and blushed slightly. "So, um, whatcha up to today?"

"Nothing, really. I have to meet up with someone to discuss some business."

I stared at him questionably. "Hm? Who? I'm assuming it's one of the Jounin here?" I guessed.

He jerked his head up upon hearing my question, but then shifted his gaze to the side, not looking in my eyes. "N-not exactly…."

I gave him a look. _Did he just stammer? _I thought, cocking up an eyebrow. "Then…who?"

It took him a minute to actually answer me. At first, he uttered the word "troublesome…."…no surprise there…and then he finally answered timidly, "A girl I like…."

Now, I was unaware that he actually liked someone. It was quite hard to believe, really, knowing he found everything troublesome, including women. For some reason, after he told me that, I felt a slight pain in my chest. At first, I thought it was just because of my injuries, but I wasn't in any pain at all before. What was it? "Oh, really?" I questioned him. "So, um, who's the lucky girl?"

Sighing, he turned his gaze towards the window, the sun's rays practically blinding his vision. "Some girl from Suna...three years older than me…."

Okay, I could've sworn at that moment, my eyeballs would literally fall out of my eye sockets. _He's into older women? _I thought. "O-oh, that's nice…." I replied, sounding a bit unsure.

Unfortunately for me, he noticed the uneasiness in my voice. "Hey, you okay?" he wondered, resting his hand on my shoulder. I shivered under his warm touch.

I gulped, swallowing a lump in my throat that I haven't a clue why it was there. "I-I'm fine," I assured him, flashing him an assuring smile. I then curled my fingers to my palm, making a fist, and then gently knocked on my head. "I'm still a tad bit out of there," I lied, unsure of what I was truly feeling. "Nothing to worry about."

"Um…okay, sure, whatever you say…." he uttered, still unsure with whether or not I was all right. "Anyway…." he started, getting up from the seat. "I better get going. She's probably waiting for me right now. You just relax now, okay?"

I nodded, smiling at the fact that he was concerned for me. "Alright. Have fun, I guess." His only response was a shrug as he finally made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

I just sat on my bed, dazed and confused. "He actually _likes_ someone?" I questioned myself. "Whatever happened to his 'women are troublesome' act?" I then placed a hand on my heart and clutched onto a handful of my shirt. "Why does it hurt here?" I wondered. "I was perfectly fine before. Why _now_...?"

"Dani-chan!!!" Naruto suddenly burst into the room, waving around a rather large bouquet of beautiful dandelions.

I jumped upon his sudden intrusion. "N-Naruto!" I gasped. "Don't scare me like that!"

Blinking and sweat dropping, Naruto chuckled nervously. "Oops, sorry for scaring ya like that…." he apologized, making his way towards me and giving me a friendly bear hug. "Oh, I got these for you!" he grinned, handing me the bouquet.

"Oh, they're beautiful! Thank you," I thanked, claiming the bouquet. "But you didn't have to get me anything…."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I wanted to," he grinned, sitting beside me. "So I hear you're being released from the hospital tomorrow. Is that true?"

"Yup. First thing tomorrow morning," I answered, nodding.

Suddenly, Naruto lunged at me and glomped me like there was no tomorrow. "Yay! We can finally hang out again!" he cheered, snuggling me.

I giggled at his adorable gesture. "Ha, ha, yup," I giggled, patting his head and pulling away from the hug. "Hey, um, can I ask you something?" I started again, the smile that graced my lips fading away.

"Huh? Oh, sure, what is it?" he questioned, noticing the serious tone in my voice.

I didn't speak right away. Immediately, I glanced over to the window, focusing on the clouds and the sun that peeked behind them. They reminded me so much of _him_. They reminded me of him not only because of his obsession with them, but the fact that they were so calm like he was. I watched how the clouds slowly and lazily moved along in the sky, much like _his _personality. Glancing back towards Naruto, who had wonder written all over his face, I finally spoke up. "Did you…know that Shikamaru liked someone?"

Cocking his head to the side, he gave me an awkward stare. "Huh? Yeah, I knew," he replied. "I forget her name all the time, but yeah, I knew. Why ask?" I didn't respond to his question. Why? Well, what was I _supposed _to say? It was at that moment when Naruto's bright blue eyes that would always beam with enthusiasm practically popped out. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!"

I cocked up an eyebrow at his sudden behavior. "Eh?"

"You like the bum!" he assumed, pointing at me.

"…_Eh_?" I repeated, wondering why he would just jump into conclusions like that. Then, it dawned on me; I was acting as though I was actually jealous. "No, no, you've got it all wrong," I assured him. "I was just wondering if you knew or not because it was news to me."

"Yup, yup! I knew! But uh, can you say 'jailbait'?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's eighteen and practically an adult. He's only fifteen. _Jaaaiiilbaaaiiit_…."

All I could do was giggle slightly at Naruto's comment. It felt great to have someone there who could make me laugh without even knowing. He was such a good friend. "I suppose so," I nodded.

"It's a shame because he should like _you_, now," he told me.

I was taken aback at this. "Huh? Why do you say that?"

Naruto flashed me a foxy grin. "Because you're awesome! But don't worry, you're too good for him, anyway!"

My eyes soften at this. "Don't worry about me, Naruto, I'm fine," I assured him, though the uneasy feeling from when Shikamaru told me he liked someone remained inside of me.

"Oh, good, because I don't want you getting all upset over that bum."

Our conversation was then interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. I jerked up at this. "Come in!" I called. That was when Ino stepped into the room with a bagful of food.

"Hey, Dani! I got you some food!" she chirped, holding up the bag.

"Oh, thanks, Ino, but Shikamaru already came in and gave me strawberries. I'm good with food as of now," I politely declined, waving my hand kindly.

Ino gave me a questionable look. "Huh? He stopped by today?" she wondered.

"Yeah! Yeah! He came by and told Dani that he likes someone else!" Naruto blurted out. Oh, boy….

It was at that moment when I knew that I wasn't going to hear the end of it. Ino's eyes widen, and then immediately became dilated, not to mention she was also wearing a scowl on her face. "What! How could he! That jerk!" Her angry face immediately altered into sympathy when she glanced towards me. "Oh, Dani! You must be heartbroken! Don't you worry! I'm gonna give that jerk face a piece of my mind!"

I shook my head at her yelling. "Ino, it's okay, really," I told her.

"No! No, it's not! He should like _you_, dammit!" she snapped.

Not that it wasn't bad enough already, it was Naruto's turn to speak up. "Yeah! Not Tema—Tema-Tema-Tema—!"

"Her name's _Temari_, dammit!" Ino barked, punching Naruto upside the head.

"_Temari"? Hm, pretty name…. _I thought. I remained silent as I watched Naruto and Ino ranting on and on about Shikamaru. _They shouldn't get angry with him…. _I thought, looking down at my hands silently. _I mean…you can't help who you fall for…right? But why do I feel so upset…and why does it hurt…? _

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 16. And again, I'm really really sorry that this chapter is short and...horrible. Like I said before, it was hard for me to concentrate and stuff. I promise that the next chapter will be better. I have an idea of what the next chapter is going to be about, but not enough to come up with a summary. I promise I'll think of something this week. While I type up the next chapter, I'll type up and finish the first chapter of my _new _story,_ History's Repetition_, the sequel of _My Life With You_. Anyways, I apologize for this horrible chapter, and I will make up for it in the next one. Read and review, everyone. I hope I don't lose any loyal readers for this chapter...)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	17. Our Talk Under the Clouds

Chapter 17

Our Talk Under the Clouds

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(A/N: Hi, everyone. I'm back with the next chapter of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops. _I apologize that my last chapter wasn't all that great, so I hope this one makes up for it. Hope you all enjoy!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 16..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you for understanding. It's been tough for the family. I'm glad you understand. I know the the chapter wasn't my best, so I hope this one makes up for it. Hope you like it.

**Reader 101: **Thank you. As for the Shikamaru anhd Temari part, it's something I've been thinking about for a while, and that chapter was the right time to use that idea. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Ha, ha. Well, here's your update. Hope you like it.

**Kiss and Cry: **Thank you. And I'm glad you understand. I really hope this chapter makes up for the last one.

**Shinkutsuki: **Ha, ha. Looks like you're not too happy with Shikamaru. It's just something I've been planning for a while. Well, I hope you like this chapter.

**Maki Hayashi: **Actually, I myself like the ShikaxTema couple in Naruto. To me, it makes more sense than ShikaxIno. Hope you like this chapter.

**Neko-nee-chan: **Ha, ha. Sounds like a funny idea. Here's your update.

* * *

(Dani's point of view)

"Erm…Ino? Are you…alright?" Inoichi questioned his daughter, who was sitting across the dinner table. I was finally released from the hospital earlier that day. As of now, the three of us were sitting at the table eating dinner. I calmly ate more rice as I continued typing more of my story on my laptop with one hand. It was rather difficult to do so with only one hand, but I had to get the work done somehow, right? Inoichi stopped eating his dinner for a moment as he intently watched his daughter stabbing the meat with her chopsticks in aggravation.

My typing came to a sudden halt as I glanced up towards Inoichi. "Don't pay any mind to her. She's just aggravated, is all," I told him, grabbing hold of the warm glass cup that was set beside my bowl and sipped on my green tea.

"Huh? Over what?" he wondered, blinking questionably.

At that moment, Ino had finally spoken up. "I'm pissed at Shikamaru!"

"….For…?"

Sighing heavily, I decided to save all the work I've done and closed my laptop. Grabbing my chopsticks, I took a handful of rice that was covered with soy sauce and plopped it in my mouth. "Because he likes some other girl and she believes that he should like _me _instead…." I replied in a tedious manner.

Ino's head shot up from staring at the meat and glared at me. "What's with the stoic attitude, Dani! You should be upset that he's _doing _this to you!"

My only reply to her was a blank stare and a heavy sigh as I abruptly stood up from the chair, grabbing my laptop and the empty bowl that was once filled with rice. What was there for me to say? I really didn't feel like dealing with such nonsense, including how Ino felt about the situation, with her bad mouthing Shikamaru by spewing out unnecessary profanities used to insult him. With that thought in my mind, I motioned my way towards the sink, still silent, placed the bowl in there and just left the room. I made my way upstairs and into my room, the room I had grown accustomed to. Sitting on my bed, I opened up my laptop once again, only to find I had received an email from my parents.

With a warm smile gracing my lips, I got up from the bed and started to change into my pajamas. "Well, at least my parents haven't forgotten about me…." I said, the smile never leaving my face.

_One week later…._

It had been over a week later and I still remained as a resident of Konoha. It was a bit frightening how long I had been away from home with my family and friends Roger and Becky, and maybe Natalie if I was still a thought in her mind. I sure missed them, yet I was still liked by many people in the two dimensional world I was in, and I wasn't invisible in their eyes. I still went about my training with Shizune. I guess I was getting better.

I was beginning to see Shikamaru less often during that week. My assumptions were that he was with Temari, probably attempting to woo her without her even realizing it. I had to admit it was upsetting me a little. I guess you could say I kinda missed him being there.

I was hanging out with Naruto more like I promised. I was even beginning to notice some signs that Naruto was starting to take a liking of me. I admit, I was flattered and found it endearing, but I just wasn't interested in him like that. I only found him as a really good friend and nothing more or less.

Naruto and I were sitting side by side at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, where we were having ramen for lunch. It was great to taste ramen again. I didn't recall the last time I had a decent bowl of it. "Hey, Dani-chan! Do they have ramen in _your _world?" Naruto questioned me in excitement. He really did love his ramen.

"Mhmm," I nodded, slurping the noodles into my mouth and swallowing them. "I usually get them at the grocery store at very cheap prices."

"Do you have ramen stands, too?"

"Um…I don't think there are any where I lived, but there are ones in my world, no doubt."

"Heh, heh, sweet." With that said, Naruto dropped his chopsticks on the counter and drank the broth. "Hey, Dani-chan, the Konoha Festival is this Friday night. You going?"

Oh, no. A festival? I was totally unaware of that. Was he going to ask me as his date? That was what I was afraid of, hurting someone by rejection. I wasn't the type to lead people on. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I finally answered his question. "Not that I know of. You?"

He grinned. "Yup! With Sakura-chan!" he chirped.

Upon hearing that, I mentally sighed in relief. It looked like I didn't have to let him down after all. "That's great," I told him with a smile.

"Yeah. It feels great that she isn't rejecting me much like she used to."

I gave him a questionable look. "_Used _to?"

He let out a light chuckle as he glanced up towards the ceiling. "Mhmm. Back when she would always fawn over Sasuke, Sakura would always reject my offering a date with her."

_Oh, right. The boy who left the village…. _I thought in realization. "Well," I started, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "It's probably because you have grown up. Your emotions and views differ from when you were younger. You get where I'm coming from?"

"Yup." He drank the rest of the ramen broth and slammed the bowl on the counter, but not hard enough to chip or break it. "Well, I gotta get going, now." Suddenly, he glomped me and hugged me tightly to the point where it was hard for me to breath. "Thanks for having ramen with me!"

Practically suffocating, I weakly patted his back. "A-anytime, Naruto…." I choked.

Before I completely ran out of air to breath, Naruto finally decided to let go. Perfect timing. "Bye for now!" With that, he hopped off his seat and ran out of the shop, though he had stopped for a moment and waved at me before departing once again.

Nodding to myself with a halfhearted smile on my face, I place my half of the bill next to Naruto's and made my way out of the shop, as well.

Along my walk, several villagers that either knew me or were just mere acquaintances greeted me. It really did feel great to get noticed, not to an attention whoring level, but enough to make me feel like I actually existed in the world. It was funny how I didn't realize that sooner.

During my walk, my mind suddenly drifted towards the thought of Shikamaru, and the fact that I hadn't seen him for a while. "I wonder what he's doing right now…?" I wondered, not paying any attention to where I was going. Has that ever happened to you, where you're so deep in thought, your mind wanders off, and the world around you seem to disappear until someone or something triggers you to snap back into reality? Yeah, _that_ sort of thing was happening to me. My thoughts were completely on the lazy dark haired Chunin; his stupid stoic expressions on practically everything, his idiotic smoking habit…his brown eyes….

Although I was still in deep thought, walking on like the living dead, I sensed that I was no longer in the village. The wind shifted. I was still in a complete daze, unaware of reality—

"—Ah!!" I yelped, feeling myself trip and falling over, hearing a light grunt beneath me. Oh, yeah, reality came back to me….

"…Erm, what are you doing, troublesome girl…?" a drowsy, yet familiar voice spoke up. I froze at my place, and then slowly moved my head up, only to face none other than Nara Shikamaru. Our faces utterly and dangerously close, the rather awkward position we were in with my body on top of his….Holy hell….

Flustered and embarrassed, I let out a squeaky yelp as I immediately backed off a little, sitting on my knees. "I-I'm sorry!" I apologized, stammering.

Not replying immediately, he let out a sigh as he sat up a little, facing me, with the natural bored look on his face. "You're still _on_ me, you know…."

I looked down and realized that he was correct. I was sitting on my knees…with his legs in between mine. "Eep!" I squeaked again, backing off farther this time. Man, what was with me and the squeaking? "W-well, you shouldn't have been lying down!" I jumped.

He stared at me. "You should've watched where you were going and quit dozing off…." he argued.

I blinked a few times, and then glanced around. He was right. I really _did_ doze off while I was walking. I guess my instincts _were _correct when I had that feeling I was no longer in the village. He and I were sitting on a clear field just outside the village. The chattering from humans were nonexistent, and basically the only sounds were the birds chirping, and the soft wind whistling in the air. "Holy crap…." I uttered, blinking repetitively. "I really _was_ out of it, wasn't I?"

His only reply was him shaking his head as though I had made an idiotic comment. With that gesture, he leaned back down and laid on the grass like he was originally doing before I had suddenly interrupted him.

Fidgeting in my place and unsure of what to say or do, I let out a heavy sigh. "Erm…mind if I, you know, join you?" I asked.

He pulled his gaze away from the clouds and looked at me. "Erm, sure," he shrugged. Nodding slightly, I took a seat beside him, though I kept my distance. It was funny, really, how I had wanted to see him after being unable to until now, when I had that opportunity to do so, I was out of words to say. "Hey," he suddenly responded.

Tensing up at his sudden reply, I quickly turned my head and faced him. "Yeah?" I asked.

He suddenly smirked. "Quit dosing off and be more alert, Chiba."

I gave him a puzzling look at first, but then sweat dropped and smiled sheepishly. "Heh, I guess you're right…." I chuckled. I then turned towards the sky and gazed at the clouds that seem to interest Shikamaru so much. "So, uh, I haven't seen you in a while…." I started, attempting to start a conversation. _Nice way to start a conversation, Captain Obvious…. _I thought in ire.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I was with Temari."

I tensed up again. I _knew _it. "Doing…?" I questioned, and then mentally slapping myself hard due to the nosey, idiotic question I asked.

"Nothing, just talking…."

"Oh, I see. Um, so do you wanna talk about something else?"

He shrugged. "Don't care. _You're _the one starting the conversation, not me…."

I chuckled nervously. "Oh, yeah, right…." Silence took over. I hated that. Why must the silence take over? I had to come up with something to say, and something quick. "Hey, uh, Shikamaru? Do you have any dreams?"

At that moment, he sat up from his original position. "Huh?"

Shrugging, I glanced up towards the sky for a moment, and then shifted my gaze back towards him. "Well, you already know what _my_ dream is. So what's _yours_?"

He looked at me questionably, but then turned to the clouds, staring at them thoughtfully. "Well," he started, "it isn't much. My dream is to marry a woman who isn't too pretty or too ugly, have a family with my first born being a girl and my second being a boy, earn enough money for a living, retire after my daughter marries, play shogi for the rest of my life until I die before my wife."

Normally, I would reply back, but I just couldn't this time. His idea of how he wanted his life to be like left me speechless. Sure, it wasn't anything glamorous, but to me, it was so…_meaningful_. "Shi-Shikamaru…."

"I know, I know. It sounds like a boring dream, but—"

"N-no, Shikamaru, it's okay. It's just that…even though your dream isn't anything glamorous or farfetched, it's so meaningful. I mean, back in my world, the guys that live in my town want to be stars with piles of money and beautiful women and a giant mansion with many cars and unnecessary crap. And they just want to be stars because of the money and women, not because it's their passion. Absolutely no meaning to it, whatsoever."

Shikamaru gave me a questionable look. "What's the point if they're not doing it because it's their passion?" he wondered.

I shrugged. "Because they believe piles of money will bring them happiness. How close minded they are…."

"Mhmm. So, uh, what else do you want to do besides being a successful writer?"

I thought for a moment. "Well," I started, "I suppose I want to fall in love and marry a sweet and kind man who'll love me for who I am, have a kid or two, and when my kids get married and have children of their own, I'll retire and my husband and I will move to a nice little house by the sea, where we'll live a quiet and happy life until we die together."

"So out dreams are similar, in a way…." he nodded.

I nodded, and then a light chuckle escaped from my lips. "Actually, I get made fun of a little whenever I mentioned my dream…."

He gave me a look of confusion. "Why would they do _that_?"

I shrugged as I played with the strings that dangled from my hoody. "Because they don't believe that becoming a writer and having a nice family and living a normal and happy life is too boring and won't get me anywhere. They think that becoming athletes, singers, or actors and making a bunch of money and going to glamorous parties is the way to go." I shook my head. "I don't want that. I don't want to be part of that life style."

"Eh, don't listen to them. They're just idiots."

"Oh, I'm not upset. I mean, I _used_ to be, but after a while, I got over it and now I just don't care what people think."

He then flashed me a genuine smile that, for some reason, seemed to caress my heart. "Good." I returned his smile and then glanced back towards the puffy white clouds, but not long before he spoke up again. "Oi, Chiba."

I turned my head quickly. "Yeah?"

"Erm, you, uh, going to the Konoha Festival this Friday?"

_Huh? _I thought. _Why would he ask me __**that**?_"Erm, not that I know of," I replied. "Why?"

He didn't reply immediately. He scratched his head in a dull manner, but in my perspective, it hinted some uneasiness. "Well, I was planning to go and—"

"Oh, with Temari?" I assumed.

"Erm, no. She's busy that day."

"Oh." _Strange…._ I thought. _Why would he still want to go if __**she**__ isn't going? That's not like the usual Shikamaru at all…. _

"Yeah, so I was wondering…." His voice trailed off. I stared at him questionably. "I was wondering…if _you'd_ go with me…." he finished.

I was taken aback at this. Was he _really_ asking _me_ to go to the festival with him? _Willingly_? I had to know if he was being honest and true about it or not. I sighed deeply. "Shikamaru…." I started. "If Ino is threatening you to ask me to go to the festival with you, then you really shouldn't, I mean I'd rather have you go with someone you—"

"Ino has nothing to do with this," he interrupted. "I…I _want_ you to go with me...you know, as friends."

Wow. It was really unbelievable. I found it difficult to believe that Shikamaru, the lazy Chunin who found everything, especially me, troublesome, was asking _me_ to go to the festival with him. What do I say? What do I _say_? "Um, sure, I'll go with you." Shit. Why the hell did I say _that_ for without thinking over it first?

He gaped at me, shocked. "So, you'll go?"

What choice did I have? I had already stupidly said, "yes" without thinking over it first, so there was absolutely no point trying to talk my way out of it. "Uh, yeah, yeah," I nodded, sweat dropping.

He then nodded as he stood up from the ground, wiping some dirt off of him. "'Kay, well, I have to get going now. I'll see you Friday."

With that said, he walked away. I just sat there, mentally hitting myself over and over again. _Great…. _I thought._ Now that I've stupidly accepted his offer without thinking over it first, I'm going on a date. Oh, man, how the hell did I get myself into this mess? _

**(A/N: Well, that's that. I hope this chapter makes up for the last. And now, a preview of the next chapter: after Dani tells Ino that she accepted Shikamaru's offer to go to the festival with him, Ino decided that there was no time to lose and drags Dani along for kimono shopping. Tune in next time in _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_. Before that, there is a possibility that I'm going to finally post _History's Repetition, _which is part three of my other series. Read and review, everyone.)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	18. Kimono Shopping

Chapter 18

Kimono Shopping

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(A/N: Hi, guys. Sorry it took me so long to update. I was busy with the first chapter of my new story _History's Repetition_,which is already up. Also, now I'm working on three fanfics, and they include this one, the one I just mentioned, and my new Yu-Gi-Oh! one. The first chapter is up. Yes, believe it or not, I'm making a YGO fanfic. But it's not even following the show's plot line. You'll see. 

Forgive me if this chapter isn't all that great. I've been busy.)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 17..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thank you. And yes, it did sound kind of cliched, but I tried to make it as un-cliched as possible.

**Sabaku no Rebecca: **Whoa, that _is_ a coincidence. That's pretty rad.

**Kiss and Cry: **Thank you! And I'm glad you were amused by Dani's cluelessness.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Oh, my god. I am so, so sorry. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. Keep your head up, okay:(

**Neko-nee-chan: **Thanks. I'm glad you like this story. And I'm going to say if I'm going to use that little idea or not. It'll be a surprise.

**Shinkutsuki: **Thanks. Here's your update!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

_Morning __**already**__…? _I thought with my eyes shut, viewing endless black with a tint of red from the sun shining from my opened window. I didn't want to get up for a few reasons. One of the reasons was that I was just too damn lazy. Another reason was that I was just too damn tired. The final reason was that I stupidly told Ino that Shikamaru asked me to go to the festival with him; therefore, she was forcing me to go kimono shopping with her. I had this gut feeling that she was going to be quite obnoxious and picky about it. Something told me that she was going to strive for the best of the best, and wouldn't stop searching until she found the _perfect kimono_. Bleh.

Suddenly, a shrill knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Dani, oh, Dani! Wake up, we have to go shopping!" Ino called from the other side.

My eyebrow twitched as I finally opened my eyes, heavy and bloodshot. "Eh….Can't we wait till later...?" I groggily called, sitting up and rubbing my tired eyes.

"Nope!" she chirped. "Now hurry and get up!" With that said, the sounds of footsteps moving away from the door faded.

Groaning in defeat, I drowsily sat up from my bed. "I might as well get ready or else she'll never shut up about it…." I sighed, getting out of bed.

_The village…._

"Alright! Time to look for the best kimono being sold for cute little Dani!" Ino hollered in excitement as she and I wandered around the village in attempt to find a store. We were both wearing casual clothing, which was unusual for Ino since she always wore her fighting gear. She was sported in a purple tank top that stuck tightly to her skin. Her jean skirt, which stopped to her thighs, moved gracefully with her. As for me, I was wearing the exact opposite of what she would ever wear. I was geared in a long sleeved shirt, black, blue and gray plaid, a very deep blue tie that stuck to the collar of my shirt, and a pair of dark jeans. Nothing different, really.

I didn't reply to her. She then whirled around and looked at me while walking backwards. "Y'know," she started, "I bet you anything that you would be more popular with the guys if you dressed more like a girl…."

I glowered at her. "What? You mean wearing skirts, frilly girly colors, and uncomfortable dresses? No, thank you," I snarled. "By the way, you're about to crash into a pole…."

"Eep!" she squeaked, quickly turning around and moved away from the pole she would've bumped into of I hadn't warned her. "But seriously, Dani, you would look so cute if you dressed more like a girl," she convinced. She just didn't know when to stop, did she?

I looked at her with a neutral expression plastered on my face. "Just because I possess the female anatomy, it does not mean I have to dress like a girl is stereotypically supposed to dress like…."

"Hey, hey, I'm just trying to help my friend out, is all," Ino defensively stuttered. "Besides," she grinned, "don't you think Shikamaru would like you more if you acted more, well, _lady like_?"

I rolled my eyes. "First of all, what the hell does _he_ have to do with anything? And secondly, I thought you don't like him and that you were going to give up your little scheme?"

"Okay, first of all, he has _a lot _to do with this since he's going to be _your _date. Secondly, I never said I was going to give up. And lastly, since he asked you to go to the festival with him, all of my hope came back."

"Whatever…." I grumbled, and then flushed slightly as my stomach began to rumble.

Ino cocked up an eyebrow. "Whassamatter, Dani, you hungry?" she wondered.

I glowered at her. "Oh, of _course_ not. You just so happen to drag me out of the house before getting something in my stomach…." I sarcastically remarked.

Ino sweat dropped as she chuckled nervously. "Uh, heh, heh…."

* * *

"Here you go, ladies. One order of our hibachi vegetable with a side of miso soup and one order of our swordfish teriyaki with a side of salad. Enjoy," the waiter grinned, placing the food on the table and making his way back towards the kitchen. 

"You're right, we should've eaten something before we left," Ino replied, taking a sip of her soup.

My eyebrow twitched as I played with the salad with my chopsticks. _And you __**just **__realized this…. _I thought in annoyance.

"So tell me," Ino began, taking a sip of her water and grinning at me. "How'd Shikamaru ask you?"

I cocked up an eyebrow. "And you want to know because…?"

"Jus' curious, is all."

I sighed deeply. "Well," I started, "if you _must _know, he pretty much just asked me out of random, and it surprised me, really."

Ino glanced up, her mouth full of vegetables. "'Random'? 'Surprised'? Why is that?" she wondered.

"Well, he just randomly asked me after we were talking, and it surprised me because I expected him to go with Temari, that's all." I saw Ino smirking at me. "Erm, what?"

"Maybe he's starting to like _you_ now…." she smirked as she giggled.

"Erm, why would you think _that_?"

"Hey, why _else _would he ask you?"

I gave her a solid stare. "Because Temari couldn't come. And we're just going as friends."

"Whatever you say, Dani…."

I glanced down towards the swordfish, lifting the succulent piece of meat from the dish and plopping it in my mouth. "By the way, I forgot to ask," I muffled with my mouth full. "Are _you_ going to the festival, too, and if so, with who?"

"Yes, I am! And I'm going with Chouji," Ino answered with a smile.

I lifted my head from staring at my food and faced her with shock written all over my face. Did I hear her right? Did she really say that she was going to the festival…with _Chouji_? Sure, she went to the _last_ festival with him, but I didn't expect her to go with him _again_. "Wow, Ino," I awed in amazement. "I'm _impressed_."

Ino cocked up an eyebrow. "Erm, Dani, you _know_ he and I are just going as _friends_, right?"

I glared at her. "Just like how Shikamaru and I are going as 'just friends', too…." My little comment finally shut her mouth. "_Exactly_," I coolly hissed, drinking my green tea sophisticatedly. I felt her eyes still gaping at me. "Yes, Ino?" I began.

"Tell me, Dani," she started, placing her chopsticks on her plate. "How do you manage to keep your cool all the time?"

I smirked. "Comes naturally, I guess."

* * *

"Here we are!" Ino chirped, as she and I stood at the very center of a small kimono shop down the street where we had lunch. 

Ignoring her, I decided to take a glance around the shop. Despite the fact that this shop was very small, it had many stunning looking kimonos of all different shapes, sizes, designs, and hues. There was a variety of fabric, as well; silk, cotton, and many more. They are all very beautiful, so it would be pretty hard for me to choose just one.

"Ooh! Let's go that-a-way!" That was when Ino suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me over to where they had some of the most beautiful kimonos in the entire shop. Ironically, they were right next to the clearance section.

Of course, I didn't look at the ones Ino was looking, but rather, the ones on clearance. There, I spotted a very pretty kimono made with a dark blue silk with lovely cherry blossoms printed on it. "Hey, Ino," I started, holding the article of clothing to my body. "What do you think of _this_ one? Pretty, isn't it?"

When Ino whirled around to see what I was talking about, she gaped at me with her mouth agape. "You don't know the first thing about shopping, _do_ you?!" she gasped, snatching the kimono away from my gasp and violently hanging it back on the clearance rack. I gave her a little "what the hell?" look. "Shopping in the clearance section is a big fat no-no. There are so much nicer stuff _outside_ the clearance section. That's why they keep their original price while those are on clearance."

I scowled a bit. "Who cares?" I bluntly stated. "It's just fabric. What difference does it make whether one costs more than the other? I've seen many ugly things that aren't on clearance. I usually don't like things that are overpriced."

"But Dani! You're going on a big date this Friday! Don't you _want_ to dress you best?!"

My face went completely neutral. "In blunt terms, I really don't give a shit, since there is nothing worth getting all dolled up for…."

Upon hearing this, Ino let out a loud groan in frustration. "_That's_ your problem, you know? You don't care. That's why you never had a boyfriend before."

"Well, you know what, that's _their_ problem, not mine. Screw shallow men," I snarled, trying my best not to go all ballistic on her.

Shaking her head at my response, Ino continued to look through the kimonos that were regular priced. "Listen…." she began, sounding sympathetic. "I'm sorry about that. What I said was pretty shitty."

I shrugged at her reply. "It's fine," I assured her."I've heard worse."

"Sorry…."

"You find anything?"

"Not really, I mean, they're gorgeous and all, but not exactly 'perfect'."

"Really, Ino, is perfection really all that important—?"

"Oh my god!" she gasped, interrupting my question.

"Huh? What's the matter?" I questioned her, whirling around only to find Ino staring at one particular kimono in awe. She had every reason to look at it with such admiration. The length was unbelievably long; it looked as though it would touch the floor. It had a scarlet red hue, fabric of some of the finest silk in Konoha. The sleeves were long and wide; they would probably cover my limbs completely. Printed spirals made from golden silk wear stitched along the sleeves, collar, and sides. A beautiful sight, indeed.

I nodded my head, impressed. "Pretty," I commented.

Ino shot me a look. "'Pretty'?! Is that all you can say!?" She then shifted her gaze back towards the kimono that looked fit for a princess, still keeping that look of admiration she had before. "It's _more_ than just 'pretty', _Daniela_! It's _perfect_!"

As Ino continued to stand there while looking at it with awe, I quietly approached it and took hold of the price tag on the sleeve. My eyebrows rose. "Yes, it _is_ perfect, Ino," I commented bluntly. "Perfectly _expensive_…."

Ino snapped out of her previous stage. "Huh? Whatcha talking about, Dani?" she wondered, moving to my side.

I lifted the price tag up so that she could see the ridiculously high price on it. "Take a gander at _this_," I instructed.

When Ino saw the price, I thought her eyes were going to pop out and that her jaw would just flat out drop to the ground. Looks like little Ino was shocked by the unmentionably high price for the kimono. "Wha-what?!" she snapped angrily. "This is an _outrage_!"

I didn't bare the same reaction was her, but merely shrugged. "Eh, it was expected," I realized.

"How could you be so calm and nonchalant about this?!" Ino barked. "You should be _pissed_! We _have_ to get it!"

"Yeah…in your next life…."

Suddenly, Ino grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the shop as quickly as her legs would allow her. "I've got it!" she exclaimed in determination. "I've got some money saved up at home!"

I blinked at this as she continued dragging me along. "Ino," I started, "don't waste your money on _me_—"

"Nonsense! I'm not wasting money at all!" she assured as we finally reached to the Yamanaka residence and went inside. She guided me up the stairs and into her bedroom, where she rummaged through her closet to obtain her safe. When she finally found it, she opened the safe up, and pulled out the money that was bound in a rubber band. "Got it, now let's hurry back!" she chirped, dragging me out of the house again and, this time, running back towards the shop as I struggled to keep up with her pace. When we reached to the shop, we ran inside and rushed back to the area where the expensive kimono was being displayed. To Ino's horror, the "perfect kimono" was nowhere to be found.

"Wh-what!!? Where is it!!?" Ino shrieked in panic, searching high and low for the missing kimono. Out of luck, Ino had no choice but to ask the tailor. Quickly, she rushed her way towards the tailor. "Hey! Do you happen to know where that kimono is!?" she questioned the tailor, pointing to where the kimono used to be.

The tailor glanced over to the area, and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but a customer stopped by earlier and bought it. My apologies." With that said, the tailor went about her work.

As Ino stood there with her mouth agape in total defeat, I made my way towards the clearance section and obtained the kimono I found earlier. I smirked at Ino's expression. "Screw 'perfect kimonos', Ino," I chuckled. "I'm going cheap."

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 18, folks. Sorry if it seemed rush. I do apologize for not updating sooner. I've been busy. Anyhoo, preview for chapter 19: the Konoha Festival finally takes place! Our favorite quartet are there together and Ino does something to get Shikamaru and Dani to be, well, "stuck" together. Will the two have a good time? Can anything go wrong? Tune in next time in _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! the next stories to be updated are _History's Repetition_ and _A Saturday to Remember_. Read and review!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	19. Konoha Festival: Doomsday

Chapter 19

Konoha Festival: Doomsday

* * *

(A/N: Hi, everyone. Twilight-to-Nightfall here with the update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! Sorry it took me a bit to update. Working on three different stories is a killer. Fun, but a killer. Plus I had to work as usual. I apologize for the previous chapter. I know it wasn't great. Anyways, here's your update, and have a super-special-awesome day.) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 18..._**

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thanks. I know the last chapter was a bit slow. My apologies. I promise this chapter will make up for it.

**Neko-nee-chan: **Thank you. Glad Ino amused you. And yeah, wouldn't it be _ironc_ if Hikari got a hold of that kimono? Dun, dun, dun! Ha, ha, well, hope you like this chapter.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **It's okay. Aw, I'm so, so sorry. That's horrible that everything is going so horrible right now. Well, just take you time and I hope everything turns out well for you soon.

**Shinkutsuki: **Thanks! I'm really glad you like this imagination of mine. I feel happy now. :)

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

It was Friday. The day had finally come. The hour finally arrived. It was the day of the Konoha Festival, where everyone who resided in the village along with their dates enjoy a lovely evening under the stars, the dark sky's many freckles, which would seem to shyly creep away from the fireworks that would light up the sky.

There I was in my bedroom getting ready. The blue silk kimono that I had bought had become a second skin to me, but only for the evening. I decided to allow my brown locks to fall to my shoulders instead of tying it up like last time. My hair was getting a bit longer. I had to trim it one day. As for makeup, well, does cover up and eyeliner count? I really didn't like the idea of getting primped and pampered when I thought I had no reason to.

"Ino! You ready to go?!" I called loudly, though I didn't hear a reply. "Ino?" I called again, this time, getting out of my room and making my way towards hers. As I opened the door, I would expect her to be standing in front of her five foot mirror getting all dolled up for the big occasion, but instead, I found that she was already ready to go, but she was huddling in the corner sulking. "Erm…_Ino_?" I uttered, raising an eyebrow.

Ino, who had heard me, slowly turned her head towards me, her face gloomy. "I'm still mad…." she uttered. "I wanted to get that kimono for you…."

I rolled my eyes at this. I couldn't believe that she _still_ wasn't over that. I mean, _seriously_, it was just a damn kimono. I didn't need it. "Stop wallowing in misery and get up," I sighed, approaching her and helping her up. "Just get over it. It was just fabric, and I didn't see the point of spending that much money for something I wasn't going to wear ever again…."

Ino nodded as she brushed some dust off of her. She was donned in a robin egg blue kimono, plain yet a very pretty style. She had makeup on, more than me, of course, though it wasn't overdone. She had just the right amount on. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she realized, "I guess I overreacted a little…."

My eyebrow twitched. **_A little_**_…?_ I thought. Ino gave me a look. I cocked up an eyebrow. "Erm, what?" I asked.

"You should do something with your hair," she suggested as she approached me and started playing with my hair. "It looks pretty dull right now….Hey, how about _this_?"

At that moment, I glanced over that the mirror to take a look. Ino stood behind me as she held two handfuls of my hair from the side of my hair, while still leaving a lot of hair underneath them and back. I knew what she had meant. She suggested I should wear pigtails while still leaving a lot of my hair down and untouched. She was thinking the former member of An Café, Bou's hairstyle. I _liked_ it. "Hm, good thinking, Ino," I nodded, impressed.

Ino grinned at my answer. "You're going to look _so_ cute!" she squealed, obtaining the brush from her dresser and holding it to my hair. "Well, time to get crackin'."

_At the festival..._

"We're here!" Ino chirped in excitement, twirling around at the dead center of the village square. I glanced around the village, captivated by the strings of beautiful luminous lights that illuminated the village. As usual, booths were set up all around the village. Yes, beautiful as always.

Turning my gaze away from the captivating lights, I then glanced back towards Ino, who was still twirling around as though she was little Alice in her own little Wonderland. "So, where are we meeting the guys?" I questioned her, though I still thought it would've been much easier if they came to the house first.

"I dunno..." Ino dreamily shrugged, obviously still in a daze by the beauty of the night.

I smacked my forehead at this. "Well, _Christ_, Ino, _you_ were the one who told them where to meet us!" I snapped. After my little snap, I noticed that Ino was still completely out of it and just ignored to everything I had just said. I smacked my forehead yet again. "I give up..."

So we continued wandering around the village in desperate search for our dates. They were still nowhere to be found. It was then when Ino had finally snapped, after her dazed state previously. "Ugh! Where the hell _are_ they?!" she hollered, her hands forming a fist.

I rolled my eyes. "Isn't that what I _just_ asked you...?" I sighed. "Leave it to _you_ to know where are dates are..."

"Oh, shut up! Like _you_ would--!"

"Hey, guys! Over here!" a familiar voice called from a distance. Ino and I whirled around to find Shikamaru and Chouji, clad in the same yukatas from the last festival. Chouji was waving at us with a toothy grin plastered on his face, as Shikamaru, with his hair down, just stood there, bored as usual. That guy...

"_There_ you are!" Ino puffed, stomping towards the boys as she dragged me along.

"I, uh, take it you're not thrilled?" Shikamaru guessed, noticing the steam that was practically coming out of Ino's ears.

"Of _course_ not, you moron! You two were _late_!" she barked.

All I could do was mentally slap myself at this. Ino, my friend, had a very, _very_ short temper. She shouldn't have been that angry. I mean, it wasn't as though Shikamaru and Chouji ditched us or anything. I didn't see why she was complaining. Finally, I decided to speak up and start a conversation, so that Ino would end her pointless, childish rant on the guys. "So, erm, now that we're all here, what do you guys wanna do?" I questioned, hoping that a decent conversation would rise from this.

Upon hearing this, Ino's eyes lit up, as though she had thought of something. Crap, not good. "Hey, Shikamaru, Dani, close your eyes for a second, wouldja?" she asked, a sly smile plastered on her face.

Shikamaru and I gaped at her questionably. I didn't think either of us would say anything, but I was obviously wrong, for Shikamaru had decided to speak up. "Erm, _why_?" he questioned.

"Just do it!" Ino impatiently snapped, eyes dilated. Oh, boy, that chick meant _business_... Figuring that it was completely futile to argue with her, Shikamaru and I did was we were told, but we both knew that something was up. Suddenly, I felt something cold and hard on my wrist and when I opened my eyes, I found that Shikamaru and I were...handcuffed..._together_.

Of course, this did not amuse me, nor did it amuse Shikamaru. "Ino?! What the hell?!" Shikamaru and I snapped in unison, trying to break free from our captivity.

Chouji's mouth was left agape as Ino snickered, dangling a key in her hand. "I figured that it would be best if the two of you _stick_ together," she giggled.

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched. "That wasn't even a proper pun, Ino..." he growled.

_My thoughts exactly..._ I thought, my eyebrow twitching, as well.

Ino giggled some more as she took a hold of Chouji's wrist. "Well, Chouji and I are gonna go wander around. Have _fun_, you two!" With that said, Ino quickly dragged Chouji off with her, leaving Shikamaru and I standing there, and still handcuffed together.

Shikamaru groaned heavily as he looked down at the handcuffs that bounded us together. "So, um..._yeah_..." he started, unable to think of something to say.

"Yeah, um...oh, boy, this is gonna be a problem..." I uttered. "I mean, what if one of us has to go to the bathroom?"

Shikamaru's cheeks slightly turned pink upon hearing this, showing some embarrassment. "H-how should _I_ know?!" he stammered. "We're just gonna have to hold it in and--! Gah, Ino! Why must you be so troublesome?!"

* * *

(Chouji's point of view) 

"Ino, you are merciless..." I uttered as Ino cackled in a maniacal manner. A little while later, Ino and I decided to grab something to eat at a cafe. Ino had ordered herself some beef dumplings as I ordered the same thing, surprising not ordering a vast amount of food like usual. It was because I didn't want to eat so much in front of her. I would look like a total slob. Beauty and the Beast is what I describe the two of us.

"Nyahaha! It's _genius_!" she cackled. "So long as I have the key, they'll _never_ escape! _**Never**_!"

All I could do was sweat drop at her laughter. "Erm, yeah. By the way, why do you even carry handcuffs around in the first place?" I wondered in curiosity.

It was then when a mischievous smirk graced her lips. "Oh, don't you know? I like my sex kinky." My mouth was left agape in shock. Ino giggled at my reaction. "I'm just _kidding_, Chouji. In truth, I borrowed it from a friend. Who _knows_ why she owns a pair of handcuffs. Besides, I've never done it. I still have my innocence."

Upon hearing her confession, I let out a heavy sigh in relief. _Good, so there **is** a chance... _After that thought, I turned my gaze towards her, who was quietly eating her food while fixing her gaze at the beautiful lights. I gulped as my hand rested on my pocket, feeling the small box through my yukata. _Maybe... _I thought. _Maybe this is the perfect moment... _"H-hey, Ino...?"

Finally snapping out of her state of thought, Ino turned her gaze towards me. "Yeah?" she innocently asked. "What is it?"

I blushed, unable to think of what to say to her, but I had to do it. It was now or never. If I couldn't find the courage to give her the pendant I had been dying to give her, I didn't think I _ever_ would. "Erm..." I started, rummaging through my pocket as she watched me intently. "I, uh, got you something..." I finally pulled out the tiny box and held it out for her to see.

By the look of her face, I could tell she was a bit stunned...and a little confused, too. "Huh? How come you bought me something? You didn't have to--?"

"I _wanted_ to..." I interrupted, almost in a shy whisper, as she slowly took the box that rested in my hand.

Before even opening it, Ino examined the box in utter curiosity. She then decided to open it. I was shaking when she finally gazed at the pendant. Her mouth slightly fell open as she pulled the necklace out. "Ch-Chouji?" she uttered in shock, not taking her gaze off the pendant. "You...you bought this for..._me_?"

I nodded my head shyly. "Yeah..." I whispered. "For _you_..." And just when I thought my face wouldn't get any redder, it did, for Ino had suddenly glomped me, barely causing me to fall from my seat.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she chirped. "It's so beautiful!" She then pulled away from her embrace and started placing the pendant around her neck, where it was destined to belong. "So, what do you think?" she cutely giggled.

I couldn't help but softly smile. She was really happy, and that was something I had hoped and prayed for, to make her happy. I figured that I wouldn't confess my feelings just yet. I wouldn't want to ruin her night by having some, dare I say it, fat and unattractive guy tell her he loved her more than any guy would _ever_ love her. Who knew this was so hard to do? "It..." I started. "It looks good on ya."

With that, Ino grinned cheekily as a faint blush crept to her cheeks, causing them to have this radiant glow to them. "Chyeah, I know!" she haughtily gloated.

With a smile, I looked up towards the night sky. _I'll tell her next time... _I thought in determination. _I wonder how Shikamaru and Dani are holding up...? _

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"So..._yeah_, uh, any _more_ bright ideas, 'genius'?" I huffed, keeping my gaze on the lazy Chunin. During our time at the festival, we struggled to accomplish both preventing people from seeing us in handcuffs and sawing our way out. We succeeded in one area, but not so much in the other, for we were still handcuffed together.

All Shikamaru did was shrug. Typical, yes? "Nope, not really," he answered bluntly.

"Dammit!" I cursed. "We've tried _everything_!"

"I know, I mean, come on, we look like a pair of _bondage slaves_ handcuffed together."

I gave him a look. "Um...no, we don't?"

"Whatever--"

"Oi, Dani-chan!" a familiar cheery voice called from a distance. It was none other than Naruto, who was rushing his way towards Shikamaru and me.

I let out a loud gasp as I hid my handcuffed hand behind my back, as Shikamaru did the same for his hand. "N-Naruto, hi!" I greeted, a bit of nervousness hinting in my voice as I hoped he didn't notice anything suspicious. "How're you liking this festival so far?"

"Great!" he beamed happily. "Sakura-chan's with me, too!" He stopped grinning and looked at Shikamaru and me in a questionable manner. "Erm, hey, what are you guys hiding behind your backs?" he questioned, trying to sneak a peek.

Shikamaru and I jumped at this. "Erm, nothing, nothing at all! Eh, heh, heh..." we nervously chuckled in perfect unison.

Naruto gave us a skeptical look. "Er, you sure, because you guys are acting a little funny...?"

"Eh, we're sure..." Shikamaru lied, shifting his gaze to the side.

Naruto blinked a few times at this as though he could see right through us, that he knew that we were practically lying to his face and that we were keeping something from him. I mean, what else were we to do? We didn't know what his reaction would be if he saw the handcuffs. He might've given the wrong impression and we didn't want that. We didn't want that at all. "Oh, okay," he shrugged, dropping the subject to our surprise. "Well, anyway, I gotta get back to Sakura. I just came here to say 'hi'. Bye, Dani-chan! Bye, Shikamaru!" With that said, Naruto sprinted away from us in attempt to find his date.

Shikamaru and I sighed in relief at the fact that Naruto hardly suspected a thing. "Glad _that's_ over," Shikamaru commented.

"Agreed," I nodded. I glanced around the village to find that there was still a crowd of people on the streets and not anywhere near the sight where the fireworks would be taking place. This gave me an idea. "Hey, uh, Shikamaru?" I started, tugging on the sleeve of his yukata.

"Erm, what?"

"Wanna go to the hilltops? We need a place to see the fireworks before everyone else takes up the room."

He blinked at my small request. He then let out a sigh, a kind of sigh as though my idea was "troublesome"...Then again, when did he _ever _find anything that _wasn't_ troublesome? "I suppose..." he groaned, giving in on my offer.

I grinned. "Great." Then, I dragged Shikamaru along, with the handcuffs, of course. And yes, we did receive a stare or two, but whatever. I finally concluded that there was no point in hiding it forever. I figured, hey, _let_ them make assumptions, because I knew it wasn't what it looked like. After shoving our way through the crowds of people, we finally made it to the hilltops, where the fireworks would be viewed perfectly. Sure, it was a pain in the ass to climb up a hill or two, but in the end, it would be worth it. We were getting the best view. When we finally reached to the summit of a hill, Shikamaru and I finally took a seat. The fact that the chain on the handcuffs was short didn't help, so we were sitting closer than we wanted.

"Okay, we're here. _Now_, what?" Shikamaru questioned me, looking at me with those tired brown eyes.

My reply to that was a shrug. Yes, I did not have much of a body language. "I dunno. Wait?" was my "brilliant" reply.

Shikamaru scoffed at my reply. As expected. "Troublesome," he groaned, reaching into his pocket with his free hand, only to obtain a pack of cigarettes. Oh, freaking great.

My eyebrow twitched at this as he stuck the cancer stick between his lips and searched into his pocket again for his lighter. "What a disgusting habit..." I scowled.

"Oh, bite me," he snapped, finally lighting the cigarette.

"I mean, _honestly_, Shikamaru, it's not a healthy habit to get into. Come on, you of all people should know that by now since you're a freaking genius and whatnot," I said. For some reason, the scent from the smoke was still very intoxicating. However, I still thought the whole idea of smoking was just flat out utterly disgusting. I sighed in defeat. Nothing I said was going to stop him, anyway. "Never mind..." I dropped as I gazed at the stars that would soon hide away from the upcoming fireworks. It was so peaceful, so quiet...

"Oi, Dani," Shikamaru finally started, breaking the silent atmosphere.

"Erm, yeah?" I replied, turning my gaze towards him.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring that laptop of yours, I mean, you brought it _last_ time."

"I felt that I didn't need to bring it. I mean, I know you better, you're my friend, so bringing it would be unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I'm still writing in that story of mine."

"I see, so how is it working out?"

"Eh, it's a working progress, is all..." We went silent after that. It was expected. We weren't really going anywhere with that particular conversation. As Shikamaru sat there smoking that cigarette of his away, I continued to gaze at the stars, awaiting for the fireworks to start. Then, my mind was starting to be taken over various flashbacks, many of Shikamaru and me. It was completely random, and happened out of the blue. I started remembering the day we met, and how he had saved my life quite a few times, and the festival, and...

_**"The girl I like..."**_

That was my final flashback, when he first mentioned the girl he liked at the hospital. Why was I thinking about that? Especially _now_? I let out a heavy sigh. I had finally came up with something I wanted to discuss with him. "Can...can I ask you something?" I finally started, sounding a bit sad.

"Yeah."

Before saying anything, I looked down at my hands, twiddling my thumbs slowly. "How come...?" I started. He listened intently. "How come you decided to ask me to the festival? Was it...was it out of..._pity_?"

He seemed a bit startled with that sudden question as I asked. "What? Why would you say _that_? Of course not," he assured. "I mean, I wanted you to go with me as a friend."

"But you'd rather be with Temari..."

"Well, yeah, because I like her and all, but that doesn't mean I would never go with you."

I shrugged. "I'm actually kinda surprised that you even _asked_ me..." I confessed.

Shikamaru gave me a questionable look. "And...why do you say _that_?"

I continued fixing my gaze down at my hands. I started to slowly play with the sleeves of my kimono. "Well..." I started. "It's just that no guy has _ever_ asked me to do anything or go anywhere with them." I chuckled sadly. "I know I keep saying I'm content with myself and I don't care what others think of me, but...just look at me. I know I'm not too ugly, but I'm not exactly pretty. I'm _far_ from being pretty. Men...they don't want that. They wouldn't want _me_...because I'm not pretty, and I'm uninteresting, and--"

"Shut the fuck up."

I tensed up at Shikamaru's sudden reply. _Did he just tell me to...? _I quickly turned my gaze towards him, my mouth agape from his remark. "_Excuse_ me?" I asked him with a slight hint of attitude.

He gaze back at me. He looked...angry. "Why do you do that?" he snapped. "Why do you put yourself down like that? I mean, holy fucking shit, Dani."

"...I never knew you had such a colorful vocabulary..." I sarcastically remarked.

"Yeah, well, what you just said pissed me off," he continued. "You have no reason to put yourself down like that. I mean, look at you. You're intelligent. You're a hard worker. You're talented, especially at singing."

I blinked at this. _How does he know what I sound like when I'm singing? _I thought in wonder.

"Also, what other girl can kick a guy's ass in _Mortal Kombat_?" he asked me with a chuckle.

I giggled back. "Nah, you probably just suck."

I thought he was going to say something about my little comment, but he didn't. His gaze then soften. "And..." he added timidly. "You're pretty in _my_ eyes..."

It was at that moment when my cheeks turned pink and felt my heart racing. I just couldn't believe it. Aside from my family, no one had _ever_ said I was pretty, especially not a guy. Maybe Shikamaru was just saying that to make me feel better about myself. "Y-you don't really _mean_ that, do you?" I stammered, still completely flushed.

He sighed at my question as he started to gently move some strands of hair that kept falling in my face. He smiled genuinely. "Of course I do," he told me. "I wouldn't lie to you about that..." I remained silent as my hand reached for his, touching it gently, and feeling my heart ready to burst. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. To my dismay, Shikamaru noticed this. "H-hey, I didn't make you upset, did I?" he asked in concern.

To my luck, I was able to fight back those bothersome tears and shook my head quickly with a smile plastered on my face. "No," I assured, my voice cracking a little. "It's just that...that's a very sweet thought, Shikamaru, thank you."

Before he could get a word in, a loud cracking noise was heard and lights of many hue started to illuminate the area around us. We quickly turned our heads and found ourselves gazing at the captivating fireworks. We gazed at them with awe. "Hey," I heard Shikamaru whisper. I turned my gaze from the fireworks and looked at him. He smiled warmly as he looked down. I followed his gaze and found him holding out his hand. I returned his smile, as I slowly and timidly reached for his hand and grabbed it, squeezing it gently.

I knew this festival wasn't perfect. I knew the two of us were aggravated with what Ino did. However, this was a wonderful way to end it; us gazing at the fireworks, our fingers laced and intertwined. A perfect ending...

...Psh, yeah, right.

"AHHH!!!" Shikamaru and I jumped at the shrill screamings from some of the villagers. We stood up and turned around to see what all of the ruckus was about. We gaped in pure and utter horror at the bloodshed. Several villagers were slaughtered and dead, covered in a bloody mess. The villagers screamed in terror and started to retreat.

An invasion. An invasion had ruined my happy ending...

**(A/N: Nyahaha! Plot twist! Suspense! Brilliant! Anyways, I'm such a dork. I wrote that little scene with Dani and Shikamaru during school and I felt like crying. I'm such a hopeless romantic at heart. Hell, there was even a love song playing in the library while typing that part out. Perfect atmosphere. Oh, yeah! Preview of the next chapter: Konoha has been invaded by ninja from Oto. Can Team 10 and Dani save the village? And will something happen to a certain someone that needs rescuing? Tune in next time on _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! The next story to be updated is _A Saturday to Remember_. Read and review, everyone!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	20. A Grim Evening

Chapter 20

A Grim Evening

* * *

(A/N: Hi, everyone! Twilight-to-Nightfall here with the update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! I want to thank you all for reviewing this story, that includes new fans and the ones that stuck with me from the very beginning of it all. Now, I have finally reached to chapter 20, the one year anniversary on December 5th, and 101 reviews! Cheers! And even though I am writing this, it does not mean this story is finished. It is _far_ from finished. I hope you all stick with me till the very end! 

_**For those of you who reviewed chapter 19...**_

**Talye Kendrin:** Aw, thank you. I'm flattered that you really like this story and that it is the first ShikaxOC story you have read. Her's your update! Hope you like it:)

**Kiss and Cry:** It's alright. If you're busy, it can't be helped. Your priorities come first. :) And thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner:** It's okay! Poor dog...And thanks. Here's your update!

**Binti:** Yay, Fluff! And thanks!

**Shinkutsuki:** Ha, ha, it seems like everyone loves Shikamaru's colorful vocabulary. And thank you! Enjoy this update!

**NarutoFan4Eva0110:** Hm, y'know, I wonder that myself. How would they go to the bathroom? XD But anyway, here's your update!

**GeishaKing (For chapter 1):** Thank you, Ky-chan! "Screw the rules, I have green hair!" XD Glad I got you into that!

**marimo head's lover: **Okie! Here's your update!

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

Like lambs to the slaughter. That was how the villagers reacted to the sudden bloodshed that occurred in what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening. The streets were leaked with scattered ink of crimson. The sharp screeching of horror coming from women and children were heard throughout the entire village. That was the moment where I wished I was blind..._and_ deaf.

Shikamaru just stood there, gaping at the sight in complete and utter horror. "Wha-what's going on?" he stammered in a low whisper.

I didn't utter a word. I just stood there by his side, gazing at the sight with the same expression on my face. The blood and the dread...they had scarred my brain, turning that into a memory I would probably never forget. My body trembled. Never had I seen such bloodshed before in my enitre fifteen years of existence. I felt sick. I felt like I was going to vomit. I felt faint. I was weak. How disgusting...

"D-Dani?!" Shikamaru hollered, rushing to my side as I collapsed to the ground on all fours, clenching my fists and trembling in fear and weakness.

I was feeling disgusted with myself once again as tears started pouring from my eyes and dripping onto the lush green grass that was probably going to be tainted from the crimson nightmare. I was cold and petrified. The quiet gasping from crying made me wish I was deaf yet again.

I thought I was going crazy, but a warm hand on my shoulder helped me break free from my state of madness. Shikamaru abruptly grabbed me by the shoulders so that I would face him, my cheeks tearstained and my eyes red and puffy. He comforted me by wiping my bothersome tears away and whispering the words "it's alright" over and over again. It was at that very moment where I felt grateful to have him there beside me. He was my best friend, my crutch...he was always there for me...

Seeing that there was no time to lose, Shikamaru quickly stood up, pulling me up with him. Thinking quickly, he started rushing his way down to the village as I struggled to run behind, the cuffs still bonding us. Suddenly, we found ourselves running into a rather large built ninja, who wasn't from around here. It had me to believe that he took part in this disaster. Shikamaru, not wanting to start a fight, ran passed him, avoiding confrontation.

I was slightly confused with the situation. Why wasn't Shikamaru helping anyone? Why was he running away like a coward? What about Chouji and Ino? What about the villagers? What about Konoha as a whole? As we finally ran into the village, I shut my eyes tight as Shikamaru led the way. I was trying to avoid gazing upon the slaughter and the bloodshed. I had to say something. I just _had_ to. "Shi-Shikamaru! Where are we going?!" I hollered, my eyes still tightly shut, as he continued leading the way.

I could tell he was struggling to avoid a fight, due to the fact that he was making sharp turns and that there was panic hinting in his voice. "Wait until we get there!" he called. As I continued keeping my eyes shut, I finally felt that he had stopped running. I guessed that it was my cue to finally open my eyes. So I did. What I found was that Shikamaru and I were standing in a dark alley. This left me baffled.

"W-wait, what are we doing here?" I questioned him with obvious panic in my voice. I approached him and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "What about the others?! Are we just going to cower away?!"

Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh as he grabbed my arms. "It's okay," he assured. "There are _dozens_ of Konoha shinobi around here." He then knelt down, pulling me down with him, as he rested the shackles on a fallen trashcan. He then pulled out his kunai knife and held the blade to the chains. "Okay, we're gonna saw our way out."

My jaw dropped. "How do you propose to do _that_?" I wondered. "Do you _honestly_ believe that a kunai will break through chains?"

He shrugged. "In all honesty, I really don't know...However, it's worth a shot, right?"

* * *

(Ino's point of view) 

"This is insane! Why is there an invasion and--Outta my way!" I hollered as I stabbed a ninja in the gut with my kunai. Chouji and I struggled to fight off against the ninjas that invaded Konoha. As we expected, they were ninjas of Otogakure, or rather, the Village of Sound.

"I dunno! It's crazy and--Move it!" Chouji yelled, kicking his attacker on the stomach. He then grabbed my hand and dragged me away from our attackers, attempting to make an escape. "We've gotta find Shikamaru and Dani, and quick!" he suggested in haste.

"Why?!" I cried. "Why does this day have to suck so much?! This was supposed to be such a wonderful night!"

"...I know," he hesitantly nodded, "but we'll get through this. I promise..."

I nodded my head. _I hope Shikamaru and Dani are alright...I wonder where they are...?_

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"This isn't working!" I cried, dropping my kunai in defeat. Shikamaru and I had been struggling to saw our way out of the shackles that bounded us. However, the blades from our kunai were just not powerful enough to cut through the chains.

Shikamaru didn't stop running the blade across the chains. Man, I never knew how persistent he was. "I know, but it's all we can do," he told me, refusing to take his eyes off the blade. "If Ino was here, she would give us the key."

"Yeah, but she isn't here, so--Ow!" I grimaced in pain when Shikamaru accidentally sliced my finger, leaving a small dent that slowly oozed with blood.

"Oh, are you alright?" he asked, dropping his kunai as he grabbed my hand. My vision was hazy. How I hated being the squeamish type, even at the smallest of cuts. "You're trembling..." he pointed out, resting his hand on my shoulder.

At that moment, I forced myself to stop trembling and turned my gaze away from the cut. "Sorry," I apologized.

Shikamaru merely shrugged as he ripped off a small piece of his yukata. "Don't apologize," he told me, wrapping the cloth around my finger, substituting it as a band-aid. Once he finished tying the "band-aid", he let out a sigh as he dropped his hands to his sides. I felt a slight tug from the hand that was bounded with mine. "There's nothing we can do," he muttered in defeat. "The only way to free ourselves is that key Ino has. How troublesome."

"Why does Ino have to be so damned persistent?" I muttered. "Does she _actually_ believe that this will help us be together?"

"Yeah, and Chouji--Wait...Ino's trying to set us up?"

I gaped at him. "And _Chouji_...?"

Shikamaru groaned in aggravation. "Oh, I get it. They're both in this together...What an unexpected turn of event..."

"Those conniving--!"

"_There_ you are!" a very familiar voice called. Shikamaru and I turned our heads to find Chouji and Ino quickly making their way towards us.

"Ino! Chouji!" I cried in happiness, relieved that they were okay, and hiding how aggravated I was of them.

"Right on time, now..." Shikamaru held up the hand that was bounded by the handcuffs that also pulled my hand up. "Mind gettin' us out of this mess?"

"Oh, alrighty! Let me just...uh..." Ino rummaged through the sleeve of her kimono, attempting to find the key. She dug in deeper. "Erm, hold on, give me a second..."

"Erm, Ino? Do you have the key?" Chouji wondered in worry.

"Erm, uh, erm, uh...I LOST THE KEY!!" Ino screamed.

"..."

"..."

"YOU LOST THE KEY?!!" Shikamaru and I hollered in perfect unison.

"Heh, heh...heh, heh, heh..." Ino's nervous chuckling evolved into chuckling full of confidence, and the chuckling became full-blown laughter. Shikamaru, Chouji, and I stared at her as though she was mad. I actually _did_ think she was mad, I mean, why would any decent soul laugh about something like that. Then we found out why. Her laughter was beginning to die as she pulled out a key from her sleeve. "I had the key all along!" she chirped. "I was just messin' with you guys!"

"..."

That. Bitch.

"INO!!" I screamed, standing up and hitting her hard upside the noggin. "Don't ever do that again!!" I was fuming mad. Looking back, I found my reaction pretty humorous.

"Ow! Okay, okay!" she cried, rubbing her head as she handed Shikamaru the key. "Can't you take a joke?"

"Not at a time like this," Shikamaru grumbled, finally freeing our wrists from their captivity. "Alright, guys, we've gotta split up." He turned toward Chouji. "Chouji," he began, "you and Dani will go one way," he turned to Ino, "and Ino and I will go another way."

"Roger!"

* * *

So the group went our separate ways. We all had a job to do. Shikamaru and Chouji were going to help fight off the invaders and Ino and I were going to heal the wounded. As I continued the process of healing a couple and their child, I would glance back towards Chouji from time to time to make sure he was alright. I smiled as I watched Chouji's final punch. _You're doing great, Chouji, _I thought. I turned back towards the little girl, the last of the three people I healed. My smile softened. "You're going to be alright," I assured her in a comforting tone. The family bowed as they quickly rushed their way home. 

In turn, I made haste to find another of the injured, leaving Chouji behind. _Chouji'll be fine, _I thought in confidence, running in a random direction. _I wonder how Ino is doing...and Shikamaru... _My mind suddenly drifted to the event that took place just before the disaster, when he held my hand...when he told me I was pretty...I stopped running and leaned up against a wall in a dark alley, my cheeks flushed and my heart racing.

I grabbed a handful of my kimono and clutched it to my chest, right on top of the area where I felt my heartbeat. _What's the matter with me...?_ I thought to myself hopelessly. _Why do I feel this way...? Why **now**...? Why am I thinking about him...? Why am I so flustered...?_ I clutched onto my kimono tighter. _Why did I feel my heart beat when he held my hand...? Is this...? Am I...?_

"NO!!" I screeched, releasing my kimono and throwing my arms down to my sides. "I _refuse_ to believe in all of that crap! There is no way!" I finally cooled down after my short little outburst. "And besides..." I calmly added. "Even if I did...well...have _feelings_ for him...it would be completely one-sided and futile. I mean...he already likes someone...and who would look at _me_?" I looked down at the concrete beneath my feet.

"But...he told me I was pretty...Aside from my family members, no one has ever told me _that_..." I hugged myself. "I know...he's a bum. I know...he finds everything troublesome. I know...he seems so very uncaring at times...But..."

His image faded into my mind. "He's the sweetest person I have ever met..." I finally pushed myself from the wall and stood there with my hand resting on my chest, feeling the faint heartbeat through the fabric. "Shi-Shikamaru..." I whispered, clenching my fists. "I hope you're okay..."

My head shot up, but it froze in its place. My blood ran cold. I was locked in a gaze, my eyes looking into a pair of steel orbs, nothing like what one would guess to belong to a member of the Hyuuga Clan. I did not have a chance to actually take a better look at the person's other physical traits, for I felt a throbbing pain on my stomach. I wasn't stabbed, nor was I bleeding. I got punched...hard.

I collapsed to my knees, slightly glancing up a little, my vision hazy. What I did make out was that the attacker was clearly a woman. She had a hourglass figure with, dare I say it, a nice set of breasts that made me very envious of her, and flowing silvery hair that reached to her mid back. However, I didn't see whether she was gorgeous or not, for my hazy stare turned to the figure behind her. He turned around before my vision worsen, but what I did make out before blackening out was that he looked about my age, pale, with hair the color of a raven's feathers...and his eyes...red..._Blood_ red...

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

"What do you _mean_ you can't find her?!" Ino barked, glowering at Chouji. It wasn't long before the three of us finally reunited. The battle was almost over, however, there was no sign of Dani anywhere, who was still missing in action.

Chouji didn't look into Ino's eyes as he shifted his gaze towards the ground, looking ashamed. "Sorry..." he apologized sadly. "It's all my fault. I should've been watching her, but..."

Shaking my head, I made my way towards Chouji, resting my hand comforting on his shoulder. His head shot up at my action. "Hey, don't feel sorry, bud, it's not your fault," I assured him with a slight bit of enthusiasm in my voice. Truth be told, I wasn't a slightest bit enthusiastic about the situation. I know it wasn't Chouji's fault, but I couldn't help what worry about that troublesome girl. She wasn't even a fighter. How was she going to defend herself? What if she doesn't make it...?

_No...I **can't** think like that... _I thought, pulling my hand from Chouji's shoulder, who was still looking very shameful. "She'll be alright..." I told them, though deep down, I was very doubtful.

Ino squeezed her hands together, holding them to her chest. "I'm not so sure, Shikamaru..." she squeaked, looking very worried. "She's not a _fighter_, she's a _healer_. How is she going to survive...?"

I grimaced at the thought. I never knew that Ino could have some high doubts. She was the optimist of this entire group after all, so hearing her utter something like that was a rare thing to witness. We had to find Dani, and quickly. She was just way too important to us. Not only was she a part of our team from time to time, but she was also our friend. She was my friend...and I didn't want to lose her.

Suddenly, I felt a presence from behind. I quickly turned around as Chouji and Ino mirrored my moves. It seemed like they felt the presence as well. What we found was a young woman, curvy figured and beautiful, standing before the three of us. Her long flowing silver hair fell to her back, some hair falling gently to her curves. She had a Chinese style dress, the hue of night. Her steel eyes gleamed maliciously. She seemed perfect, but had a flaw...blood drenched hands.

_Blood soaked hands...? _I thought, staring at the crimson ink that was splattered in the woman's hands. I turned to Chouji. "Careful with this chick," I warned. "She looks dangerous. Better not let your guard down."

"Got it--! Erm, uh, _Ino_...?" Chouji and I turned around, only to find Ino crouching down, sulking.

"No fair..." she murmured, hiding her eyes with her hair.

Chouji and I looked at each other questionably for a moment, and then turned to Ino, with the same expressions on our faces. "What isn't fair?" I asked in curiosity.

At that moment, Ino stood up and pointed to her chest. I gave her a look as Chouji's face flushed furiously. "She has bigger tatas than me!" she cried. And of course, she was referring to the woman's, erm, _measurements_.

"Ack! _Ino_! That's not _important_ right now!" Chouji argued, his cheeks still tinted pink.

"Of _course_ it's important!" Ino barked, her face flushed as well.

I groaned forcefully as I plugged my ears with my two index fingers, attempting to tune them out. "I. Hate. This. Team. So. Much..." I muttered quietly under the loud argument. The woman chuckled slightly. She didn't utter a word as she stepped to the side, revealing someone behind her. It was...

"Dani, you're alright!" Ino cheered in relief, excited to find that her best friend was okay.

Dani, however, did not say anything. She only stood there, standing very still, with her head hung down, fixing her gaze onto the ground. Suddenly, she took a step. And another. And another...

"Erm..._are_ you alright?" Chouji questioned her, feeling slightly nervous. I just stared at her. What was going on? Why wasn't she speaking to us? Why was she walking toward us like a corpse? Then, I noticed something attached to her back. A _scythe_? I saw her reaching for it. Something was not right. She took hold of the weapon and grasped it firmly in her palm. Something was wrong...

"Hey! We were _talking_ to you!" Ino barked impatiently. Ino finally decided to shut her mouth afterward, which was probably a good thing, but at the same time, _why_ she did wasn't. Before she could utter another word, Dani silenced her by holding the blade to her throat. Cold sweat dripped from Ino's forehead as she slowly inched her neck from the blade. "D-Dani?" she uttered, staring into her eyes. "Wha-what are you doing...? Dani...?"

Chouji, who was gaping at the sight in horror, quickly turned to the woman with a hateful scowl on his face. "What did you do to her?!" he hollered, demanding an answer. The woman did not say anything but disappeared right before our eyes. Some answer _that_ was. Quickly thinking, Chouji hurried over towards the horror-struck Ino and grabbed her, carrying her away from Dani.

"Wha-what's _wrong_ with her...?" Ino gasped, confused and scared, trembling in Chouji's arms. Neither of us even bothered to answer her. What was there for us to say? What _could _we say? It was quite obvious that she was being controlled, perhaps because of that woman. It seemed to be the most logical explanation, because I knew Dani would never turn against us.

Without thinking, I cautiously made my way towards the possessed Dani. She really _was_ possessed. When I looked into her eyes, I found that they were completely empty, as though she was nothing more than a walking corpse. I didn't find any trace of life in them.

"Listen, Dani," I started as I took a step closer to her, only to have her take a step back from me, with the scythe still grasped firmly in her hand. However, that didn't stop me. "Listen to me. I _know_ you're still in there..." I continued, making my way towards her again. Feeling that I was going to attack her, she attacked me in self-defense, hacking my shoulder with the scythe. It left a pretty well sized gash, so it was only a matter of seconds before blood decided to ooze from the wound.

"Shi-Shikamaru! Don't get to close to her!" Chouji hollered in worry after witnessing the attack.

"I'll be fine!" I called back in confidence. I then approached Dani again and grabbed her arm. I felt her tense up at this action. "Snap out of it, you troublesome girl," I told her, hoping that I would get her to come to her senses.

Suddenly, I noticed Ino standing behind Dani, a bucket of cold water dangling in her hand. "WAKE UP!!" she hollered, dumping the icy cold water onto Dani's head.

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"YEOW!! THAT'S COLD!!" I yelped, shivering from the chilled water that cascaded down my body. There I was, standing there drenched, cold, and confused.

I found Shikamaru and Chouji standing in front of me, blinking in utter confusion. "That actually _worked_...?" they uttered in unison.

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Huh? What are you guys talking--?"

"YATTA!! IT WORKED!! IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!" a loud voice that could make one's ears bleed cheered in my ear. It was Ino.

"Hey don't _do_ that! I don't want to go deaf!" I scolded, glowering at her. I then turned back towards Shikamaru and Chouji. "Hey, what exactly happened?" I questioned them.

"You were in a trance!" Chouji bellowed. "And you were trying to attack us!"

"I _what_? How could I--? What is _this_?!" I shrieked as soon as I realized that I had a scythe armed. I quickly threw the heavy weapon out of my hand, watching it plummet heavily on the ground. I raised my gaze from the ground towards Shikamaru, staring at the spattered crimson ink that stood out from his yukata. "Oh, no..." I said in a low whisper as I quickly made my way towards him. I slowly raised my hand towards the wound. He grimaced a bit when I gently touched the wound with my fingers. "Did I...?" I gasped, horrorstruck at the suddenly realization that _I_ was the one who gave him that wound.

He sighed heavily at this. "It's alright," he assured me. "It's just a--"

"Just shut up for a second!" I frantically snapped, resting my hands on the wound as I began healing it. Even though I was concentrating on healing him, I could still hear Ino whispering to Chouji, "Let's just leave them _alone_ for a bit," and heard the two running off.

I was concentrating hard. I kept fixing my gaze onto the wound, watching it slowly reduce in size. "Erm..." I heard Shikamaru utter. I didn't say anything. I was still in deep concentration, but I listened on. "It looks like everything's going to be alright..." he told me. "The intruders are gone. I think we won."

I finally took a chance to stop healing him for a moment and looked around. The environment was in dead silence. The brutal activity was no longer in existence. The booths were tattered and in a wreck. The ground was stained with blood. There were casualties lying about and were carried away. There were many wounded, but there were plenty of medical ninjas around to take care of them.

"This place..." I uttered, refusing to tear my gaze from the sight. "It's a wreck. What a horrible night this has been..."

Shikamaru nodded in response. "I know..." he replied. "But it's all over now...And at least everything was fine _before_ all this happened..."

I smiled a bit, nodding back. Silence fell upon us. What was there for us to say? Nothing. "So..." I finally started. "Are you going to be alright?" I questioned him in concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he assured, looking down at his wound. "Why don't you go home? It's been a rough day..." I nodded as I turned to leave, but stopped at my place. "Erm, you okay?" I heard him question me.

I didn't say a word. A crazy thought came to my mind. I blushed furiously at the thought_. Should I_... I thought, feeling my heart beating louder by the minute. It was beating so loud that I would've guess that he heard it too. _I don't know if I should...I've never done this before...And...what would **he** think...Should I take the chance...? _Guessing that my silence was some sort of reply, Shikamaru turned to leave. _Don't leave...Don't leave...Do it **now**, Dani!_ "Wait!" I shouted.

His walking came to a sudden halt as he turned to face me, wondering why I wanted him to stay. I turned to face him. My blush had worn down, but I was still slightly flustered. I bit my lip as I slowly made my way towards him, the butterflies in my stomach finally awakening from their slumber. I was soon standing face to face with him.

He gave me a look. "Erm...what?" he asked in confusion.

I hesitated for a bit and just looked at him, though I managed to form a soft smile on my lips. Before he could get another word in, I grabbed his arm and gently pressed my lips on his cheek.

I didn't get a chance to see what his reaction to that was. I didn't _want_ to see. After kissing his cheek, I quickly ran towards home, leaving him behind.

* * *

(Shikamaru's point of view) 

I just stood there, dumbfounded and slightly flustered. I raised my hand up and lightly touched the area she kissed. Why? Why did she do that? I removed my hand from my cheek and placed it on my chest so that I could feel my now racing heartbeat. I smiled softly. "What a troublesome girl..."

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Dani! Dani, are you okay?" Ino called from the other side of my bedroom. There I was, sitting on the floor of my bedroom with my back pressed against the door. She heard me coming in. She saw the look on my flushing face. She continued questioning me if I was alright and what had happened after she and Chouji left.

Of course, I never even bothered answering her. I was out of words to say after what I had done. I pressed my fingers against my lips, and then down to my chest where I felt my heart beating rapidly.

What was wrong with me? Why did I kiss him? Why couldn't I stop thinking about him? Why did it hurt realizing that he likes another girl? Why did I long to be by his side again? Then, I thought...

_Is this...**love**...?_

_Nara Shikamaru...do I...**love** you...?_

**(A/N: Chapter 20...complete! Ha, ha, I'm sure most of you expected Dani to kiss him on the lips, didn't ya? But no, I thought just a simple kiss on the cheek was enough. Also, Dani never kissed a guy before, whether it's on the cheek or lips or whatever. You get the idea, right? Sorry for taking too long to update. The next story to be updated is _History's Repetition_. Read and review everyone! Hope you all liked it!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	21. Guilty of Love

Chapter 21

Guilty of Love

* * *

(A/N: Hi! I'm back with the update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! Well, there's not much to say right now except for I hope you all like this chapter!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 20..._**

**marimo head's lover: **Ha, ha, thanks. I'm glad you liked those parts. Here's your update!

**Shinkutsuki: **Don't hurt yourself! Ha, ha. Enjoy this update!

**Selene98: **Thanks! Here's your update!

**Wasipi: **Thank you! And as for the kimono issue, I initially wasn't planning on having a specific someone getting it, but I'm probably going to think of someone.

**NarutoFan4Eva0110: **Thanks. And I'm glad you agree with me. I mean, you're right; if Dani kissed Shika on the lips, it would be too fast and too awkward, and it's not like her character at all to do something like that. I think the kiss on the cheek was good enough, plus it was really sweet so...Well, anyway, thanks again!

**Janne: **Aw, thank you! And there's your update:)

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

_Nara Shikamaru...Do I...**love** you...?_

My previous thoughts continued to reel in my head over and over again, like a broken clock that refuses to stop turning. Was I _really_ falling in love with that lazy chain smoker of a Chunin? "Pft! No freaking way in hell!" I said aloud, chuckling a bit.

My god. I was the most skeptical person on the planet.

"I mean, let's think outside the box here," I continued, now standing up from my previous sitting position. I started pacing back and forth. "He has feelings for someone else. He only thinks of me as a friend, and ever since that shit-for-brains of a jock Robbie rejected me in the fifth grade, I've already promised myself to never get close to any guy. I mean, most men only go for looks, and are not looking for love, but just a good fuck, right?"

I stopped pacing for a moment and just leaned against the door. "But..." I added. "But Shikamaru's not _like_ that. I mean, he's _obviously _going to look for love since his dream is to have a wife and family. And he wants to be with someone who wasn't too pretty or too ugly. That's _proof_ that he's not looking for the hottest ass on the planet--Oof! I can't believe what I'm saying!"

I pushed myself off the door and plopped onto my bed as I stared down as the glossy wooden floor. I rested my forehead on the palm of my head. "Oh, what's the _matter_ with me...?" I moaned in frustration. "I'm speaking in complete nonsense and my mind's going _haywire_ over some guy. I mean, really, he's a _guy_!"

Sighing again, I removed my hand from my forehead and placed it gently over my heart. "But he's the only person who has ever made my heartbeat speed up like a rabbit on drugs." I chuckled a bit at that ridiculous simile I used to describe how fast my heart was beating. "And he's the only guy who asked me to be his date on an occasion like last night. He's the only one that took the time to give me a chance."

I raised my hand up towards my chin, my fingers lightly caressing the lips that planted a kiss on his cheek. "I _still_ can't believe I did that..." I uttered, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. "Maybe...I should talk to Tsunade tomorrow?"

_The Next Day..._

I rose from my slumber the very next morning around 11:30, so very close to noon. Remembering what I advised myself to do, I quickly got out of bed and hurriedly got dressed into my typical everyday fashion of clothing; nothing pretty or girly. Yes, typical me. I scaled down the stairs, expecting to see Ino there having lunch or something, but as it turned out, I was the only living and breathing form of life in the house. At least for the moment.

Sticking on the refrigerator door was a note for me from Ino, saying that she was off to the flower shop. "As expected..." I sighed, throwing my hoody over my shoulders and headed out the door. The sudden wind started to gently play with my brown locks. I shivered a bit due to the fact that the wind was cold. My stomach was rumbling from hunger, but I ignored it. I didn't have time to eat. However, I tried to convince myself over and over again that seeking advice from Tsunade, the Hokage, my superior, will be a waste of both mine and her time. "Stupid me..." I cursed, now power walking my way towards the Administration Building. "Why must I go to someone for advice? Why bother? I'm not in love. I _can't_ be in love, _especially_ with Shikamaru."

Dammit all. There really _was_ something wrong with me. Never in all of my fifteen years of existence had I ever been in so much denial. Ever. I was acting like a child. Of _course_ I had to go seek advice. I just _had_ to. There I was having those feelings I didn't want, so I just had to talk to someone who was older and wiser than I was. Before long, I found myself standing before the Administration Building, where Tsunade's office was. Without hesitation, I opened to door to the building and stepped inside.

I wandered in the vast empty hallways of the building, trying to find my way to Tsunade's office. It wasn't before long when I finally entered a hallway that was crammed with people going in and out of several doors while carrying a stack full of papers and vanilla folders in their hands. _**Shit**..._ I thought as I nervously viewed the crowded area. Without thinking, I struggled to squeeze my way through while searching for the office at the same time. I thought I was doing a hell of a job squeezing my way through the crowd, that is, until I accidentally bumped into someone. I expected to fall to the ground, but someone had caught my fall. When I glanced upward, I found myself staring at the face of none other then Shizune. "Sh-Shizune sensei!" I gasped, surprised to see her.

"Dani-chan! What are you doing here?!" she questioned me. "The crowdedness of this area can _kill_ you!"

"I need to speak to Tsunade!" I shouted through the noisiness of the hallway.

"Oh, alright!" Just then, Shizune pulled out a silver whistle from her pocket and blew on it roughly. There came a sharp screeching sound that could make one's ears bleed. The crowd stopped dead at this. "Alright, people, get a move on! My pupil and I need room here!" she commanded loudly, causing everyone to quickly move out of their way. She grabbed my arm and hauled me down the hallway until we stopped right in front of the last door standing. "Well, here we are," she sighed as she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" a familiar voice called from the other side of the door.

"Tsunade-sama? It's Shizune. Dani-chan here wants to have a word with you," Shizune said.

"Is that so? Well, bring her in."

"Yes, ma'am!" With that said, Shizune opened the door, allowing me to come inside. At a giant desk sat Tsunade herself, who was tiredly doing some paperwork while drinking some sake at the same time. Not exactly sure if that was a really good combination. She seemed too busy doing her paperwork that she didn't even bother glancing up, not even so much as to acknowledge our presence. "Erm...Tsunade-sama?" Shizune uttered, hoping that that would trigger something.

Tsunade finally looked up to find us standing right in front of her desk. "Oh, hello," she greeted, finally dropping her pen, to her pleasure, and pushing the paperwork to the side. "So, you wanted to see me, Dani?"

"Erm, yes, uh--"

"Take a seat," she offered, pointing to a chair in the corner of the room. "You may pull it up in front of my desk if you like."

"Oh, yes, ma'am," I said quickly, rushing over to the chair, grabbing it, and pulling it up in front of the great desk. Shizune patiently stood by the door.

"So, tell me," Tsunade started, grabbing hold of her cup of sake. "What is it that you need?" She started to drink.

I didn't answer right away. I glanced down towards my hands, twiddling my fingers nervously. "Erm, well," I stammered. "I...I need your advice. I don't know who else to turn to and--"

"Spit it out," she calmly told me.

I tensed up at this. "Y-yes, ma'am!" I took a deep breath. "Tsunade, have you ever been in love?" I glanced up to see her reaction to my question. I found her staring at me intently as she held the cup to her lips. I quickly looked down at my hands again and continued. "What does love feel like? Is being in love a good thing or not?"

There was a long pause. I hated the silence. Was it something I said? I looked up again and found that Tsunade didn't move, that she still looked the same as she did when I last saw her. What did I say? Did I pull a nerve or something? I turned to Shizune for help, but I only found her looking down at the floor sadly. I heard a heavy sigh coming from Tsunade's lips. I quickly turned to face her. "I-I'm sorry," I frantically apologized. "I must've said something stupid, so--"

"No, no, you don't have to apologize..." Tsunade finally answered. "And to answer your question, yes, I was in love once upon a time. His name was Dan. He was Shizune's uncle..."

_**Was**...? _I thought. _She's using past tense. Does that mean he's...? Maybe I shouldn't ask her that--_

"He died, unfortunately..." she added. So, I was right.

"I-I'm sorry," I told her in sympathy. I didn't know what else to say. It seemed as though "I'm sorry" is the only thing anyone could ever say to someone who had lost a loved one. Why _is_ that? Is it because there really isn't anything to say unless you have experienced the same heartache as well?

"It's alright," she assured. "You didn't know."

"..."

"Whenever I was with him, I felt so happy, and I felt as though I could not survive without him..." she continued, finally answering my questions. "Love is...such a beautiful feeling...yet it can be painful if you either lose the one you love, or if that person couldn't or wouldn't return your affections...To love and to be loved is a really good thing. It means you have someone to fall back on when you feel hopeless or lost..." Tsunade looked at me. "Any...special reason as to why you're asking me this?"

Although I did not want to blush at that question, it happened anyway. Why was I blushing? "Erm...well..." I gulped.

I saw Tsunade smirking from the corner of my eye. "Ah, _I_ get it..." she sniggered. "So I'm guessing that Shikamaru has finally made you hot for him?"

And just when I thought that my face couldn't get any redder and hotter, it did. "I-It's not like that at all!" I denied.

Tsunade cocked up an eyebrow. "Really. Then what _is_ it like, exactly?"

I gasped a little at this, but then meekly shrugged at her question. "I-I dunno..." I replied helplessly. "I'm not exactly sure. I mean, I never felt this way before, y'know? Like...like it's always easy for me to talk to him...and that he's so trusting...There are times where I constantly think about him...and ever since last night, at the festival, I couldn't stop thinking about him." I paused for a moment. "It would sometimes hurt when I come to the realization that he has feelings for someone else...and--"

"I think I get your point, Dani," Tsunade interrupted, giving a light nod. "It seems to me that you really _are_ in love, and that there is no point with denying your obvious feelings all the time. Dani, how come you're denying so much? You don't _want_ to be in love?"

I shook my head. "N-no..." I replied. "It's just that...that I don't want to get hurt...so I..."

I stopped when I heard a loud sigh coming from Tsunade. I glanced up towards her. "I understand where you're going with this," she told me, "however, you shouldn't let fear get in the way of how you really feel. You shouldn't be afraid of the feelings you're having. Embrace them. That is about all I can say to you..."

"...Oh...alright, then..." I nodded slowly, finally standing up from the chair. "Well...thanks for the advice...I'll, uh, I'll see you later..." I started my way towards the door to leave.

"Dani," Tsunade finally spoke, causing me to stop at my place. "Just...just try to think this over, won't you?"

Without facing her, I silently nodded my head, passing Shizune and finally walking out of the office. Much to my surprise, the hallway was still ridiculously crowded, so without hesitation, I started to sneak my way into the gaps between the herds of people. It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to make my way through. When I finally reached to an empty hallway, it was easier for me to move, so I quickly paced my way towards the exit.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air that was lacking in the crowded hallway in the building. Looking forward, I caught sight of a lonely wooden swing that hung from a very tall tree. Shrugging to myself, I made my way towards the swing and sat on it. The feeling of nostalgia slowly came back to me. It was like I was in kindergarten again. As I slowly started swinging on the swing, I thought long and hard about what Tsunade told me. She told me that I was most definitely in love, and that there was no doubt about it. But the real question is..._was_ I? I mean, I _couldn't_ be...right...?

I grimaced suddenly as grabbed my hair, as though I was ready to pull it clean off. "Dammit, Dani!" I cursed to myself. "Why must you be so skeptical all the time?!" As I looked down, I found a single white daisy standing on the ground completely solo. I grabbed it and gently pulled it from the ground where it belonged. I held it to my face, sighing heavily. "Great, now I'm _really_ going to feel some nostalgia..." Then, one by one, I started to gently rip the delicate petals from the daisy.

"I love him...I love him not..."

I continued pulling them while chanting over and over again.

"I love him...I love him not...I love him...I love him not...I love him..."

There were only a few more petals left on the daisy that I have destroyed. I just sat there, staring at the broken flower that once full of life. Suddenly, I began having various flashbacks, all revolving around _him_...and all that we went through together...The day we first met...When he rescued me for the first time...When we went to the Sakura Festival together...How I beat him in _Mortal Kombat_...My first mission with him...How I worried about him when I saw him lying unconscious and bloody in our other mission...How I found out he had feelings for another girl...When he held my hand last night...

My heart started to beat rapidly again. I clutched onto my shirt, feeling the heavy pounding that could only be heard by me, myself and I. The final image my mind made up was of him again...smiling at me...

I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. Suddenly, I grabbed onto the whole flower and ripped it from the stem, completely killing it. As I allowed the remains of the daisy to fall, I leaned forward in my seat, resting my forehead on the palms of my hands. "It's pointless trying to fight this..." I sighed.

_I love him..._

I lifted my head up and gazed up at the sky, staring at the clouds that enhanced its beauty. "He can't know..." I told myself in determination, standing up and walking out of the area. "I mustn't allow myself to look so obvious...I mean...what would _he_ think...?" It was at that moment when I suddenly started running towards home. Because I wasn't paying well enough attention, I accidentally bumped into someone.

"I-I'm sorry! I--Gah!" My face turned completely red. I freaked out. The person I had ran into was none other than the boy my mind couldn't seem to get rid of. That's right. It was Shikamaru.

Just. My. Luck.

"You should be aware of your surroundings, troublesome girl," he advised in his usual boring drawl. "Just some friendly advice, is all." I, of course, didn't reply to his little comment. I was flustered and lost with words. Why was that? I never acted that way around him before. To my misfortune, he noticed my uneasiness. "Erm...you okay?" he questioned me, reaching his hand out towards me.

Without thinking, I let out a terrified, squeaky yelp as I quickly passed him and ran away. After he was completely out of my sight, I ran into a secluded all and leaned against a wall. "Smooth freaking move, Dani," I scolded myself, "freaking out like that." I let out a heavy sigh. "Why did I act all weird around him just now...? Is it...is it because I've fallen in love with him, and that from now on, whenever I see him, I lose my nerve...? Great, now I'm gonna act like someone with a schoolgirl crush..."

"..."

"LOVE SUCKS!!"

When I slammed my fists against the wall, my iPod suddenly fell from the pocket of my hoody. The iPod turned on suddenly, playing the song was came up after the song I was listening to the last time. It was a ballad. I recognized it. The song that was playing was _Guilty of Love _by Shanadoo.

Crap.

"Aw, the _hell_, man?!" I groaned in aggravation. "Now a _love_ _song_ is playing?! Words can't _describe_ how cliched this is! It's like I'm in some corny romance movie!"

_Your hand's more than magic  
Your voice so exciting  
Your arms so inviting  
I can't resist  
Daremo inai bashoni futari  
Nukedasouyo jounetsu dakeo  
Kaban ni tsumete subeteo sutete_

Slowly, I slid down to the ground and just sat there while listening to the song. "Of all songs to play, why _this_ one...?" I sighed. "Dammit, this is so cliched that it's almost funny..."

_I know I'm guilty of love  
Koukai wa demo shinai yo  
Kokoro ga karamawari  
Just call me guilty of love  
Sukuerunowa mou  
Anata no yasashii ai dake yo  
Ikenai koi muchuu na koi_

As the song continued to play, I started talking to myself once again. "Okay, so I finally admit it. I love Shikamaru. However, I can't make it seem so obvious. Ino wouldn't shut up about it, but most importantly, I don't want to look like such a fool."

_Kata yoseate mitsumeta keshiki  
Suteki sugite nakeruwa  
Tsumaru kotoba iitai nowa  
Wakatteru anatano koto  
Itai hodo shitterukara_

"And it doesn't help the fact that he likes someone else," I continued. "I don't want to force him to like me back. What kind of person would that make me? Selfish, that's what. I have my self respect, and I certainly won't do that to other people." I sighed heavily as I rested my forehead on the palms of my hands. "Oh, Dani...You're such a mess. And just a few days ago, you were certain that you would never have feelings for him..." I pulled my face from my hands and looked up at the sky that peeked through the alley. "Maybe I've had these feelings all along, but was just too scared to admit it. Like I said before, I'm the most skeptical person on the planet."

_I know I'm guilty of love  
Koukai wa demo shinai yo  
Kokoro ga karamawari  
Just call me guilty of love  
Sukierunowa mou  
Anata no yasashii ai dake yo  
Ikenai koi muchuu na koi_

_Yes, we were guilty of love..._

The song finally came to rest. Before the next song started playing, I grabbed the iPod and turned it off. After placing it in my pocket, I stood up and walked out of the alley. "Dani!" a familiar voice called from a distance. I whirled around and found Ino rushing her way over towards me.

"Ino..." I uttered in surprise when she finally reached to me.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "We gotta go home. Dinner's ready." My only reply was a nod. Ino gave me a look, as though she could see right through me. "Hey, are you alright?" she wondered in concern.

I nodded. "Yeah," I finally replied. "Let's go..." As we walked off, I glanced up at the clouds deep in thought. _Maybe I'll tell him when I'm ready... _I thought. _I sure hope I won't regret my decisions..._

**(A/N: Ta-da! Chapter 21 is done! That song I used was called _Guilty of Love _by Shanadoo. It's a very beautiful song. I highly recommend it. Anyways, it looks like Dani has finally admitted her feelings to herself. Even though she has, it does not mean this story is over. Oh, no. Not on my dime. This story is _far_ from over. I still need to come up with an idea of what the next chapter will be about. Sorry! Well, see ya next time!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	22. Attempted Avoidance: Failure

Chapter 22

Attempted Avoidance: Failure

* * *

(A/N: Hello! I'm back with the update of _The Love of Clouds of Laptops_! Now I'll end this short author's note by saying enjoy!) 

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 22..._**

**Shinkutsuki: **Ha, ha, yeah, it would be. But that would ruin everything I planned for this story. And I'll admit, I actually like Dani the best out of all of the OCs I had ever created. Ever. She just seems so...how can I put this..._realistic_ compared to my other characters. Hope you enjoy this update!

**Dragon of Twilight: **Thanks! And yes, yes, she finally admits it. Well, she _is_ very skeptical, and she admits it. Ha, ha. And yes, good luck to Dani. She's really going to need it. Enjoy!

**Selene98: **Thank you! And yes, she does. About time, too. Hope you like this chapter!

**Satoke.Luna.: **Thanks! Here's your update!

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Oh, it's alright. It's very understandable and you have your reasons. Don't worry about it. :)

**Janne: **Oh, thank you so very much. I'm flattered. -smiles-

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"..."

"Okay, just say it..."

"Say _what_?"

"You know very well what, now spit it out..."

Have you ever told someone something that was a bit personal, but then you regret it afterwards because that someone either wouldn't shut their trap about it or that they would spill the beans? Yeah, unfortunately, _that_ sort of thing was happening to me. I had decided to tell Ino about my newfound feelings for Shikamaru when we returned home. I sat on my bed, slouching a bit, as I glared at Ino, who was giving me a playful little smirk.

...Stupid me. Why did I have to spill the beans?

I glared at Ino a bit more. "Well, are you going to say it or not--?"

"Wait for it..." Ino interrupted, that smirk of hers never leaving her face. She took a deep breath before speaking.

Oh, boy. _Here_ we go...

"I _**TOLD**_ YOU SO!!!" she beamed loudly and excitedly, twirling around in the room while chanting, "I told you so" over and over again.

I remained sitting there, glaring at the wooden floor, my cheeks flushed, with my mind screaming and cursing at myself over and over again. _For the love of god...How could I have been so stupid enough to tell her that? Now she is going to brag about it and rub it in my face over and over again...This sucks_... I thought as I finally shot my gaze up from the floor and glared at Ino, who was still dancing around in victory. "Are you _quite_ through, Ino...?" I snarled through my teeth, a bit heated.

It was at that moment when Ino stopped twirling and hopping around and smirked. "So, you're _finally_ hot for him. About time, too."

I turned my gaze away from her until I was looking at the wall from afar. I had nothing to say to her. I mean...what was I _supposed_ to say? Was I _supposed_ to yell at her, or admit that she was right? I was regretting telling her, but I didn't have anyone else to turn to after I had finally sorted out the feelings I thought I wouldn't harbor for a long time. And Ino _was_ my best friend...so...I figured...

I suddenly tensed up when I felt Ino's arms around my shoulders. I still continued to say nothing. "Aw, my Dani has finally fallen in love." She sniffed, but it was the type of "sniff" that one would do not because they were really crying, but for acting purposes whether they were showing sarcasm, mockery, or a playful form of happiness. "I'm so happy for you," she finished, making that phrase to be spoken an octave higher than her usual voice.

"...Yeah, yeah, whatever..." I huffed as she released my body from her grasp. "But you can't, and I repeat, _cannot_ tell him. Understand?"

"B-but why?" Ino questioned me, giving me the "I cannot believe you" look.

"Because I don't want him to know."

"But..._why_?" Man, she was persistent. I didn't answer her. I had assumed that my previous reply had pretty much answered everything, that it was so self-explanatory. I then heard her sigh heavily. "_Ah_...I get it..." she nodded. "You don't want to face rejection, do ya?"

I started fiddling with my hair. "Well...If I got rejected _once_ before, then--"

"Wait, what? What are you talking about 'rejected once before'?" Ino interrupted, obviously startled with what I had just said.

"I-it's nothing..." I assured, shaking my head. "Just some petty little thing that happened when I was ten-going-on-eleven years old. It's not important. Really."

"Well..._okay_, but whatever happened back then shouldn't get in the way with what will happen in the present. I mean, I know you had just discovered your feelings for him, and I know you want to get a chance to explore them a bit more, but..." She took me by the hands and pulled me up from the bed, so that I was standing right in front of her. "You can't just run away from him _forever_." She gave me a light shove. "You have to _push_ a little! You have to get _rough_! Be _aggressive_!"

I blinked a few times at this. "Ino, I know you're trying to help, but...you gotta be kidding me. I mean, you were going somewhere until that last part. I'm not that kind of person."

Ino sighed again as she dabbed her fingers over her forehead. "Alright, alright, maybe that _was_ a little too over the top, _**BUT**_...I was making a point by saying that you have to be a little more confident about yourself. If you keep this up, Shikamaru will _never_ know how you feel and then you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. You don't want that now, do you?"

"Well, of _course_ I don't," I shrugged, "but at this point, I just don't know what to do right now..."

What I had just said was completely factual. I really _didn't_ know what to do. Could you blame me, though? I had never even _been_ in love before, so of _course_ I didn't know how to handle the situation. It made me a little...scared just thinking about it.

"Well," Ino finally started yet again, interrupting my thoughts. "You shouldn't lose any sleep over it. Just try not to think about it. Also," she put a hand to her heart, "although it'll be difficult for me, I swear on my life that I will not say a _word_."

I let out a heavy sigh in relief. Could I _fully_ trust Ino to not say a single word? Probably not, but it was nice to know that she was willing to try. "Thanks, Ino..." I thanked, smiling a bit.

"Hey, what are friends for?" she replied, smiling back as she gave me a friendly hug. "Now, you should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" With that said, Ino made her way towards the door and exited out of my room, closing the door behind her. Just as I thought everything was over and done with, I heard a loud squeal of excitement from the other side. "Yay! It's finally happened!"

I sighed a little as I shook my head, chuckling a bit. Her outburst had somewhat amused me. I was glad that she was happy to hear about my newfound feelings for Shikamaru, but one could only hope that she doesn't spill the beans. Fidgeting in my place a little, I reached for my laptop that sat on the bed across from me and placed it gently on my lap.

I became inspired yet again after my long excruciating moments of writer's block. I spent many hours typing more in that story of mine. I didn't care how tired I was. I didn't care how my fingers ached every time I punch the keys on the keyboard.

Having writer's block just annoyed me, so of _course_ I had to type as much down as I possibly could. It seemed as though I was just using my time here and those newfound feelings as a way to make my story more interesting, but that really isn't the case. Sure, they're perfect for my story, but I really _did_ enjoy my time there, and I really _did_ have those feelings. The only obstacles to overcome were dealing with missing my family and my two only friends back in my world, and handling the feelings I thought I wouldn't harbor for a long time...

* * *

"Flower shop again, Ino?" I uttered tiredly upon reading the little note Ino left on the kitchen counter. Daylight had sneaked up on me the very next day. After getting dressed, I went downstairs into the kitchen to have something quick to eat, and at the same time, being greeted by Ino or possibly even her father, Inoichi. That clearly wasn't the case now. 

After wolfing down some leftover dumplings from last night and brushing my teeth afterwards, I walked out of the house. I strolled around the village in attempts to find something to do. I didn't even bother bringing my laptop along. I just didn't feel the need to do so, since I was already working on my story like a banshee the other night.

I know. That was a horrific example of a simile.

I continued strolling around, bored out of my mind. I was a bit out of it, too, considering how I had just woken up. Therefore, I was suffering from a rather strange amalgamation of boredom and drowsiness.

Here we go again.

I once again succumbed to the very thoughts in my mind..._random _thoughts, by the way. The world around me had soon disappeared right before my eyes. My focus had diminished. How does this happen? Why does this happen to people, that they somehow manage to escape the true reality and slip into their own little dream state, unaware of the actual events going on in the real world--?

"Oof!" My state of deep thought had soon come to its demise when I accidentally bumped into something, or rather, someone, and plummet on the ground. Reality came back to me. "Dammit all..." I cursed under my breath. "Sorry about that--" I paused at the sentence that I never finished. I caught my breath. I was staring at the face I didn't want to see, the face I was struggling to avoid.

"Why do you _constantly_ dose off like you're on drugs, troublesome girl? You're going to get yourself hurt one of these days." That statement came out of the mouth of none other than Nara Shikamaru, who was standing there, shaking his head a little, as he extended his hand out towards me.

I was speechless. An unnoticeable blush crept to my cheeks. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I didn't even want to touch his hand, though deep down inside my own beating heart, I was longing for it. For his presence. For _him_. "U-uh, I'm f-fine!" I stammered in a hurry, quickly scrambling to my feet. "I-I should've been paying attention to the road, erm, no, wait, uh..."

For the love of god...I was babbling like an idiot. I was right when I said I didn't know what to say. All that came out of my mouth was just pure gibberish. He probably thought of me as a fool; I sure as hell did _feel_ like one. I looked..._pathetic_.

Unable to withstand standing there and even looking at him any longer, I quickly maneuvered my way around him, shoving him a little accidentally, and power walked away from him. My heart pounded in my chest. My pulse quickened. My breathing became heavy and the blush still lingered on my cheeks.

Unfortunately, I was being followed.

"Hey, hey! What's _with_ you lately?" Shikamaru was following me. He was following _me_. I was completely unsure whether he really _did_ care for me or that he was just being nosey.

"I-it's nothing!" was my oh-so-brilliant response, quickening my power walk. He, however, just wouldn't quit.

"First yesterday, and now _today_? What the hell's going on?" he pushed, trying to get an answer out of me. "_Hey_!" Suddenly, from out of the blue, I felt him grab my wrist, causing me to stop walking. We stood there for a bit, though it felt like an eternity, like the clocks had stopped ticking and that time had just stopped for that very moment. My back was still facing him. "What's going on, Dani?" he asked me softly. "Why won't you look at me? How come you're trying to avoid me...?"

Of course, I didn't answer him right away. My back was still facing him. What was I supposed to say? Or better yet, what _can_ I say? "I..." I started, unsure of what to say. He listened on. Finally summoning enough courage, I whirled around to face him. Thankfully, my blush had worn down, however, it was still hard for me to look into his eyes. My lips formed a gentle smile. "I'm alright, Shikamaru," I finally spoke. He gave me a questionable look. I continued. "I'm alright," I told him, more confident. "I'm just...I'm just feeling a little weird today. Don't ask why because even _I'm_ unsure." I timidly looked away. "S-sorry if I came off as a total..._weirdo_..."

He just smiled at me. It wasn't the type of smile that showed mockery in any sort of way. It was genuine, and enough to make my heart melt if it were possible. Suddenly, I felt a hand gently resting on my shoulder..._his_ hand. I turned my gaze back to face him. "Well, you _are_ a weirdo," he chuckled. "I'd be lying if I said otherwise."

I felt my brow twitch at his remark. _Way to beat a dead horse while she's down, you bum... _I thought in total annoyance.

"However," he continued, still chuckling a bit, "you're still my friend, so I won't beat you up about it too much."

I returned his smile. The fact that he was joking around _and_ being kind to me had increased my total interest in him. He was just so intriguing. He wasn't like any other guy I had ever met before. Intelligent, kind, lazy, _and_ cute. I can honestly say that I had never met a guy with all of those qualities. It amazed me. "Thanks," I sighed, my smile never leaving my face.

He shrugged. "It's nothing," he assured. "Anyway..." He made his way around me. "I'll talk to you later."

"Where are you heading to?" I questioned him in curiosity.

"Oh, nowhere specific, really. Just off to watch the clouds." Heh. How typical. It was completely obvious that he was going to go off doing his usual hobby. Typical, lazy genius he was.

"Ah, I see, something new," I commented using playful sarcasm.

He chuckled at my comment. "Yeah. Wanna join me?"

I was a bit startled at first by his request. "Erm, well..." I started. "Um...sure, I guess." With that said, Shikamaru nodded and continued walking as I caught up to him, finally walking by his side.

_So my attempt to avoid him had obviously failed..._ I thought_. It failed, much to my displeasure. But_... I turned my gaze towards Shikamaru, who kept his gaze ahead_. As Ino said, I can't run away from him forever. I guess I'll try and be less obvious with my feelings. I guess my only answer would be time. Only time will tell--_

"Erm, what are you looking at?" Shikamaru suddenly asked, noticing my staring as he gave me a look.

I tensed up at this. "O-oh, nothing, nothing," I chuckled nervously. As I continued to walk by his side, I glanced up towards the gentle blue blanket in the sky, freckled with the fluffy white clouds that made it up. "Just lookin' at the clouds..."

**(A/N: Well, that's chapter 22 for ya. I know. It wasn't completely up to par. But fear not! I promise to make the next chapter more exciting. I already have an idea of what it's going to be about. Yet another mission will be involved. However, it's all in the matter of figuring out what kind of mission it will be. Well, I hope this chapter didn't disappoint my readers and fans too, too much, because I vow for a much better next chapter. Until next time! Read and review, everyone!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	23. Mission in Sei an

Chapter 23

Mission in Sei-an

* * *

(A/N: Hi, guys! I'm back with the super special awesome update of _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_! I thought that the past two chapters seriously lacked any sense of adventure, so I've decided to have a mission for this chapter. I had planned this for a while, so now I'm putting it to work! Another long-term idea I had was a little spoof on _Alice in Wonderland_, but that won't happen until much later. Well, with that said, here's the update!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 22..._**

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Thank you. Ouch, so I guess your prom was pretty bad, huh? Well, I don't think I'm planning on going to _my_ senior prom. Too much time consuming and I don't have a date, but I hate most of the guys in my grade. Oh, well. We'll get through it. Ha, ha!

**funkymonke333**: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. As for Sasuke, he did make a brief appearance in chapter 20. He didn't have any dialogue, but he was there. As for the rest of this series, I'm debating whether or not he should show up once more. I'm leaning towards a "no", though. I find it unnecessary to make him have an actual part to this story. Well, here's your update!

**Dragon of Twilight: **Ha, ha, who knows? And thank you!

**Satoke.Luna.: **I'm glad you find Dani as a realistic character. That's exactly what I was striving for when creating her. I'm glad I was able to succeed in that. Enjoy this update!

**Savvy0X: **Oh, thank you very much! Here's your update!

**Selene98: **Ha, ha. Yeah, Ino's the ultimate comic relief character of this story. And to tell you the truth, I'm wondering the same thing. Ha, ha. I'll come up with something, though.

* * *

(Dani's point of view) 

"Erm, you sure about this?" Ino gulped, touching up the back of my hair for the final time.

Days afterwards, I had finally decided that I couldn't bare how my hair looked anymore. So, I had Ino cut my hair for me. The style was a bit...different from what it usually had been. It was definitely shorter than ever, the back especially. It was cut at an angle, the back short and the front long. Ino was kind of iffy about the whole thing at first, but gave in soon after.

I shrugged as I reached for the back of my head, raking my fingers through the shortness and fullness of my hair. "I like it, though," I told her simply. "Short hair looks good on me."

She gave me a look. No surprise there. "You should grow it out," she suggested.

I gave her a blank stare in return. "You should cut _yours_."

"Eep! No way! Not on _my_ dime!" she squeaked, grabbing her long ponytail and stroking it tenderly.

Rolling my eyes a bit, I adjusted my sitting position on the chair so that I was sitting cross-legged. I let out a loud yawn as I scratched the scalp on my head. "Spastic as ever, eh, Ino?" I managed to utter in complete sarcasm.

She pouted her lips, crossing her arms over her chest as a faint blush of annoyance claimed her cheeks. "Oh, shut up..." she replied childishly.

I chuckled slightly. "Geez, Ino, I was just playing around," I told her, sticking out my tongue in a playful manner. I started swaying back and forth and side to side in my seat since I couldn't handle sitting still. "So anything new? Like are we assigned to do any missions or whatever...?"

Ino thought for a minute as she lightly tapped the pair of scissors on her chin. "Erm, not that I know of," she answered, "not ever since that whole 'getting Tsunade rice for sake' ordeal a while back. It's been pretty slow and I'm starting to get tired of it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I shrugged, glancing towards the window. The sun's rays poured into the room, illuminating the area with their gentle glow, yet they were still strong enough for me to become slightly blinded by them.

I suddenly heard a soft sigh coming from Ino, though I didn't turn around to face her. "Well," I heard her start, hinting playfulness in her voice, "I guess the only entertainment for me as of now is the suspenseful soap opera between the aspiring novelist and the lazy shadow master himself."

I felt my brow twitch slightly at this. Here we go again. I didn't mind the first few times, but then afterwards, she just started beating it to death. It was really, _really_ annoying and totally unnecessary. However, I gave her credit for not being a total blabbermouth. I opened my mouth to speak. "Erm, can you stop now, please...?" I asked, annoyance hinting in my voice.

Ino let out a slight giggle as she suddenly approached me and threw her arms around me shoulders, awarding me with a bear hug. "I'm sorry," she apologized, still giggling slightly. "It's just that it's so cute that you--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." I growled, interrupting her.

From out of the blue, a sudden knock came from the other side of the closed bedroom door. "Hey, Ino, Dani, Tsunade's finally got a mission for ya!" That response came from none other than Yamanaka Inoichi, Ino's father.

Ino and I tensed up at this sudden announcement. Speak of the devil. The two of us were just discussing how we had lacked any decent missions lately, and now we were told this. Finally, something to do to break the complete boredom and the daily routine of a slow day. Ino's face lit up in excitement. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes. She wants the two of you to go to her office. Shikamaru and Chouji will be there, too." With that said, his footsteps were heard making their way back downstairs.

"Isn't this _exciting_, Dani?!" Ino chirped happily, grabbing my shoulders while hopping up and down in her place. "We finally get to _do_ something! Plus, you get to see your lover!"

Although I knew that she was just joking around in that last bit, it still aggravated me a little. Only _slightly_. "Erm...yeah..." I snarled, a light blushing grazing my cheeks.

Ino giggled again. "_Relax_, buddy, just a little joke, is all!" she chirped, grinning toothily.

* * *

After getting washed up and ready, Ino and I started our way towards the Administration Building, where Tsunade's office stood in one of the long, vast, and even sometimes, crowded hallways that made up the building, along with the many doors that led into various rooms. It didn't take long for us to finally reach to the building, and from the moment we stepped inside, we found that the hallways were completely empty. It was somewhat of a relief for us since we didn't have to struggle pushing and shoving through an enormous crowd of people. 

We proceeded our way through the building until we finally reached to the door that led to Tsunade's office. Ino and I stared at each other for a brief moment before I approached the closed door and lightly knocked on it. I waited for a reply. "Yes?" I heard Tsunade's voice call from the other side.

"Hey, it's us, Ino and Dani," Ino replied for me.

"Oh, alright, come in," Tsunade instructed. Ino and I nodded as I opened the door. As the two of us stepped inside, we found Shikamaru and Chouji standing before the rather large desk while turning their heads to face us. Tsunade was found sitting at her desk, her elbows digging into the flat surface with her chin resting on her hands. I also took the time to notice that Shizune was nowhere to be found.

"Hey! You guys showed up!" Chouji beamed with a grin plastered on his face. Shikamaru, of course, didn't add anything to that comment.

"Of course we'd show up, Captain Obvious!" Ino groaned, obviously somewhat aggravated with Chouji pointing out the obvious, as she and I fully stepped into the room while closing the door behind us. She then threw her arm around my shoulder. "There's no way Dani and I would _ever_ pass this offer! Isn't that right, Dani?!" she chirped, grinning a bit.

I let out a heavy sigh to somewhat show my annoyance. "Erm, yeah, sure, whatever..." I muttered. I then shifted my gaze to lock onto Tsunade's neutral expressed face. "So you've got a mission for us, Tsunade?"

"Hm? Oh! Yes, I do," Tsunade said, finally taking the time to remember. This time, everyone in the room was looking at her, anticipating what she was about to say. "Well," she finally started, "it isn't much, but I guarantee that you'll find it much more...'stimulating' than the last one. I know that retrieving some rice for my sake was a...bad idea. So, I'm giving you four this mission."

"Here's the deal," she continued, "I'm not sure if any of you know, but have you ever heard of the Yagari Clan by any chance?"

No one replied. I assumed that no one had any idea what she was talking about. I, of course, didn't. I had absolutely zero knowledge of any clans aside from the ones residing in Konoha. Hell, I didn't even know nearly _half_ of the details of each clan.

"Oh! Wait a minute!" Ino suddenly burst, as though she had suddenly remembered something. "I think I've read about them somewhere! The Yagari Clan was once a powerful clan that was feared by many. It probably had to do with their clan's special technique, 'Yami no Jutsu', where the victim is engulfed into darkness itself. They say that during this, the victim faces against their own 'inner demons' and cannot escape until the user of that jutsu says so. Man, I would _hate_ to suffer from that. They say that the victim suffers from _serious_ trauma afterwards."

_Oh, wow, Ino was able to describe something with full detail for once... _I thought with sarcasm hinting in my thoughts.

"Well, yes, but the clan isn't necessarily made up of _bad_ people," Tsunade told Ino. "There are bad seeds in _every_ clan. People just made presumptions about them because of the clan's special technique, so they thought they were 'spawns from the Devil himself'."

Tsunade took a breath to continue. "The Yagari Clan is no more. Over the years, they had been murdered in their sleep. Many had escaped, and even went so far as to stay awake, but it was no use. _They_ still got to them anyway. The lack of sleep caused them to not think properly, so they really couldn't defend themselves. They were all slaughtered, one by one."

"Whose 'they'?" Chouji finally questioned, sparked with curiosity.

"Well, I can best describe them as 'purists'," Tsunade replied. "They are a group of people who believe that anything that is 'dark', for example, the Yagari Clan and their jutsu, is evil and is tainting this world we live in. If I do recall, there are only a few of them left. The rest either died, or decided to forget about it and moved on with their lives."

"This is what I want you four to do," she continued. "There is an abandoned village in this country called Sei-an, and it's close to Konoha. You would get there in a matter of hours. The remaining survivors of the Yagari Clan are at hiding in that village. They consist an elderly named Megumi and her four grandchildren. Kai is the oldest of the four and the only male. The three girls go by the names Yuko, Aki, and Kaori. I want you guys to help protect them from the 'purists' for a while. Kai has been doing most of the fighting, but he can't do it all on his own."

Tsunade then opened the drawer of her desk and pulled out a bamboo scroll. She handed the scroll to Shikamaru. "This is the map to Sei-an," she told us. "It'll help you reach to your destination. Good luck."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight..." Ino started as we continued our voyage to Sei-an. After we left Tsunade's office, we immediately started our journey out of Konoha. We had been traveling for hours. We had made only a few stops and took short breaks. That was about it. We were somehow grateful that darkness had not peeked its way into the heavens. Shikamaru was leading the way while scrutinizing the map Tsunade had given him. 

"What we've gotta do is help protect the only survivors of the Yagari Clan from some weirdoes that want everything in life to be 'purified', right?" Ino continued. "Seems kinda strange, but whatever, at least it sounds a lot more interesting than some of our last missions. And at least we don't have to escort a snobby little princess back to her own country."

"Also, we don't have to leave the country, which is a relief," Chouji added. "It's a real pain in the butt to always go to a different country every time we are assigned for a mission."

"Yeah! I totally agree with you on that one!" Ino chirped in agreement.

As Chouji and Ino continued with their little conversation, I summoned enough courage to actually catch up to Shikamaru so that we were walking side by side. "So," I started, attempting to make conversation as I took a glimpse at the scroll with a map printed on it, "how long will it take for us to reach to Sei-an?"

Shikamaru kept his gaze at the map pensively. "Well," he began, resting his finger on an area of the scroll. "I believe we're currently here now, so," He glided his finger upwards until it reached to a little inked dot that was confined in a giant crimson ring. "We should be at Sei-an really soon."

"It should be really easy to spot too," I added as I took the scroll from his hands. As I gazed at the map, I took the time to notice that my silhouette slowly diminished from the scroll, which hinted that the sun was starting to go down. "I mean, it's the only village on the map that doesn't have any neighboring locations."

"That's true," he nodded. He tilted his head back and gaze at the sky, which was starting to bleed with hues of orange and violet. "Looks like the sun's going down."

"Mhmm..." God, this was awkward. Usually, I didn't mind having a decent conversation with him about anything, but now, since I was in love with him, it was just so hard for me to actually talk to him without having a thousand butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Or better yet, feeling like I was about to say something completely foolish.

Man, being in love sure sucked big time.

Suddenly, Shikamaru stopped at his place. I looked at him questionably as he took a quick glance at the map and then at the ancient wooden gate intertwined with vines standing before us. Chouji and Ino finally caught up to us. We all kept our gazes at the grim appearance of the gate. Night was drawing near.

Chouji gulped suddenly. "So, uh, yeah, this is the place?" he wondered, stammering slightly.

"Sure looks like it," Shikamaru uttered before taking another glace at the map and at the gate again.

"So, uh, should we, like, _open_ it?" Ino asked with slight nervousness.

"If we don't we wouldn't accomplish _anything_, and then Tsunade will have our hides..." I told her, refusing to pull my gaze from the gate.

Before anyone could utter another word, Shikamaru silently handed me the map and slowly approached the gate. He rested his hands on the ancient barrier and just stayed there for a moment before hesitantly pushing it open. "Here we go..." I heard him whisper.

Night suddenly came upon the area. It was as though it was planned out from the very beginning. A thin layer of fog floated about. The place shouldn't be considered a "village" anymore, but rather, ruins. The decrepit buildings and the withering plants were enough to call this area ruins. Not to mention that there wasn't a single source of life anywhere.

The chilled wind and the gloominess of the blackened village gave off a bad vibe, sort of like an omen of some sort. Ino shuddered from the cold and also, from her own fears and paranoia. "This place gives me the creeps...!" she squeaked, hugging herself.

"I-I agree," Chouji gulped. "It's like a ghost town here. M-m-maybe we should head back and--"

"We're going," Shikamaru and I stoically said as we dragged the two cowards into the ruins of Sei-an. It didn't take long for me to suffer from Chouji and Ino's cowardly disease, for I had started to become a bit more paranoid. I would take a glance behind me from time to time in case we were to be ambushed. I trembled as I walked.

Fear. That was the one feeling I hated the most.

The four of us continued searching for the survivors, but they were nowhere to be found. "Ugh! Where are they?!" Ino groaned, banishing away her paranoia with her annoyance.

Chouji shrugged at this. "Who knows? Maybe those 'purists' Tsunade mentioned finally got them."

"I dunno, Chouji," I replied. "They must be still hiding so--Ahh!"

The four of us jumped. What interrupted my sentence was the sudden appearance of a hooded stranger, who had abruptly poked his or her head out from behind one of the old buildings. "W-were you kids summoned by the slug princess, Tsunade?" the stranger asked, voice whispered with a slight jagged breathing. Judging by the sound of the voice, one can depict that the hooded stranger was a female, an _older_ female.

"S-sweet Jesus..." Ino and Chouji stuttered in perfect unison, still gripping onto each other from being startled.

"Y-yeah? And who are _you_?" Shikamaru wondered, stammering a bit as well. It looked like that lady had given him a slight scare.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" The woman finally lifted her head up so that the hood that cover her cranium gracefully slid down. She was an elderly woman with somewhat wavy ashen hair that reached to her shoulders. She had delicate milky skin that made the wrinkles on her face quite noticeable. Her gentle eyes of onyx gleamed in...relief?

"I am Megumi," she introduced, "Yagari Megumi..."

* * *

"Well, here we are. Please make yourselves at home," Megumi told us as soon as we stepped inside an old, small house that stood near an ally. After our rather brief introductions and greetings, Megumi had decided to welcome us into the building where she and her grandchildren were hiding. 

The inside of the little house wasn't really anything to look at to be a bit honest. There were only four bedrooms and one bathroom in the entire household, while everything else was piled up in one separate area, where a dusty table and nine tattered pillows laid in the very center of the room, with only one single dimmed lamp sitting at the side.

"I know this isn't the nicest looking house, but it's all we can do," Megumi told us as we looked around. "After all, we are only hiding. Once we can be at peace, we will be able to get out of this place."

"Oh, it's alright, Megumi-san," Chouji politely replied. "We're here to help--"

"Yo, Megumi-baasan, when are those guys from Konoha com--Well, speak of the devil..." We turned our heads to the direction where we heard the smooth voice coming from. My widen eyes locked onto the owner of the voice.

Good lord. Scratch that. Oh, _lordy_...

Standing by one of the doors to a room was a young man who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen. His skin was slightly darker than Megumi's. Beads of water came rippling down his perfect bare torso, his great abs, a six-pack to be more descriptive, and stopped only to be absorbed by the hem of his black pants. It gave him a sort of...exotic look. His skinny arms gripped the towel on his straight jaw-length ebony hair. His eyes, the color of an emerald, kept his gaze on us.

_Oh, my... _I thought, a light blushing claiming my cheeks. I then turned my gaze towards Ino and gaped at her. I thought my jaw was going to literally hit the floor. She too couldn't take her eyes off the young man. She was blushing like crazy and I could've sworn she was about to drool. And for a split moment, I could've sworn that I saw little pink hearts replacing her eyes. _Oh, joy, **another** guy for Ino to be all over like a bitch in heat..._ I thought, my eyebrow twitching slightly.

"Have some decency, Kai!" Megumi suddenly snapped, taking hold of a white T-shirt and chucking it towards the young man, now dubbed with the name Kai. Kai grumbled under his breath as he turned his back on us, much to Ino's..._and_ my displeasure, and started putting on the T-shirt that was a size or two too large. "Please forgive my grandson here," Megumi said, scratching her head a little.

It was Ino's turn to speak. "Oh, it's no problem at _all_, Megumi-san," Ino sighed dreamily, still fixing her gaze onto Kai.

Slightly annoyed by her, I grabbed her ponytail and yanked on it, causing her to yelp a little and give me a dirty look afterwards. "Yeah! You outta be ashamed of yourself presenting your shirtless self in front of ladies, Kai!" an unfamiliar voice boomed from out of nowhere.

"Oh, sue me, Yuko, like I was supposed to know..." Kai groaned, glaring at the young girl that stepped into the room, along with another younger girl standing behind her.

The girl upfront couldn't have looked more than twelve or thirteen years old. Her skin was light and delicate like ivory; one would've guessed that she had inherited that from her grandmother. Beneath the rather large checkered dress was a petite little body, causing some people to guess that she was a lot younger than what she really was. The curls of her flaxen hair fell gracefully to her elbows. Her eyes, the color of sapphires, returned the glare Kai had given her.

Although the little girl who looked about nine was shyly hidden behind the one called Yuko, I was still able to see her. Like Yuko, she was also blonde haired, though it was straight and shorter, and blue eyed, with the same ivory skin she had inherited from her grandmother. She was slightly chunkier than her older counterpart, though her little white dress truly complimented her features.

"H-hi, I'm Aki..." the little girl greeted shyly.

We waved, though Ino was the only one that actually said something. "Hi, there, cutie pie," she grinned, causing Aki to blush slightly.

I took a quick look at Kai, and then Yuko, and then Aki, and finally turned to Megumi. "Miss Megumi?" I whispered over to her. "Are all three of them brother and sister?"

Megumi shook her head. "Nope," she replied. "Yuko and Aki are the only, well, 'true' siblings. Kai and Kaori had different mothers, thus making them _half_ siblings and cousins of Aki and Yuko."

_Kaori..._ I thought. She was the only grandchild of Megumi that we had yet to meet. I was starting to wonder where she was. There suddenly came a loud crash from behind us. Everyone turned around and caught sight of a broken flower vase. Kneeling before the shattered vase was a person with a small, childlike body. The person was geared in a black boy shorts and a T-shirt of the same hue. The person had donned something that resembled a ski mask that covered his or her entire head and face. The person was also holding a small...ax?

"Away with you cretins!" it voiced, giving away the obvious fact that she was indeed female. "We don't need your help! We can--! Hey, hey, hey! Let go, Kai!" Kai had snuck up behind the person, grabbed her, and finally unmasking her, revealing a girl that looked about eight years old with straight ebony that was cut at an angle, just like mine, and the same emerald green eyes like Kai, along with the exact same skin tone. That little girl must've been Kaori, Kai's younger half sister.

As Kai kept his grip on Kaori, Yuko approached them, grabbed the little ax from Kaori's hand, and tapped her foot in a disapproving sort of manner. "First of all, Kaori, you shouldn't be playing with such dangerous things, and secondly, you shouldn't have frightened our guests like that. They're here to help us--"

Before Yuko could say anymore, Kaori suddenly was able to wiggle her way out of Kai's grasp and plummet to the floor. "Why should I have to trust them?" she growled, struggling to stand up. "They'll only get in the way!" With that said, Kaori ran out of the room, shoving me slightly by accident, and shut the door of one of the bedrooms.

I kept silent as I stared at the door. "Man," I heard Ino utter. "What the heck was _that_ about?"

I heard Megumi sigh. "Please forgive Kaori. She...she just has some trust issues..." she explained. She clasped her hands together. "Now then," she continued, "we'll be having dinner soon so feel free to rest up for a bit and wash up."

* * *

"Oh, my god, Kai is such a hottie-hot-hottie!" Ino squealed for the umpteenth time, hugging herself as she laid on one of the two beds in the small room we had to share. "I wonder what kind of girl he likes? Am I his type? I hope I'm his type!" 

I rolled my eyes sitting cross-legged on my bed as I placed my messenger bag on the floor. "We're here for a mission, not to pick up dates, Ino," I sighed.

"Quiet, you," she said, finally sitting up. "Anyhoo, everyone seems so nice here...but that Kaori girl? She's such a weirdo..."

Shaking my head, I turned my gaze towards the dusty window, which gave me a perfect view of the gorgeous full moon that illuminated the grim ruins with its pallid glow. "Well, as Megumi mentioned before, she just has some trust issues," I told her. "You can't really blame her, I suppose."

"..."

"What?"

"She was carrying an ax."

"Well..."

There came a sudden knock on the door. "Ino, Dani, dinner's ready!" Chouji called from the other side of the door.

"Oh, okay, Chouji, we'll be right out!" Ino called, finally standing up from the bed as I did the same. "Let's go, Dani."

I nodded as I followed her out of the room. As we made our way towards the only room that consisted with a table, I took a quick glimpse at the door of the room Kaori went into after her little outburst earlier. I couldn't help but be curious, and wonder what was wrong with the youngest child of the five remaining survivors. What was troubling her? Why didn't she give the chance to trust us? More importantly, what will be the ending result of this mission? Of these ruins of the forgotten village Sei-an? Of the survivors of the Yagari Clan?

What will become of all of us in the end?

**(A/N: Whoo! This chapter is finally completed! It was a lot of fun making this chapter. It's so interesting and I believe that it's actually going to go somewhere. I'm glad I thought up this mission for them. It's something different for a change. I hope you all feel the same way. There's going to at least be _some_ excitement after a long while, right? And remember, I'm going to make that _Alice in Wonderland_ chapter soon. I'm not sure when, but soon. By the way, the name "Sei-an" came from the city "Sei-an City" from the Playstation 2 game _Okami_. I just liked the sound of it, so I've decided to use that name for the ruins of a village that once was. Well, with that said, read and review, everyone, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	24. The Survivors of a Broken Family

Chapter 24

The Survivors of a Broken Family

* * *

(A/N: Hello! I have finally update _The Love of Clouds and Laptops_ ! Woot, I can't believe we're already on chapter 24! To this day, I still have no idea what chapter number will be the last and when it will end. It's going to be so sad to end this story. I really enjoy writing this. Fear not, we have a long way to go until _that_ happens! I just hope my loyal readers will stick with me to the very end, plus new fans and readers is great too. Well, time to get on with the story!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 23..._ **

**Dragon of Twilight: ** Well, yeah, sort of. Except Dani's only _slightly _ longer. but they aren't really that similar. I wish I had a picture of so. Ha, ha, Kai. I guess I did make him pretty sexy, huh? Well, that was what I was striving for anyway. I think you're the only person who actually mentioned Kaori in the reviews. I find that kinda funny for some reason. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!'

**Selene98: ** I guess the update _was_ rather quick, huh? I should try that more often. But then again, I have to write two other stories. One is almost done though. I plan on having more depth on the Yagari Clan in this chapter.

**Savvy0X** : Yeah, I know that chapter wasn't too too exciting. I can't say I was planning to make it be, but it'll get better. Woot, another person who thinks Kai is hot! Ha, ha. I really _do_ envision him as a hot guy in my mind. I'm glad people actually see that. I had something planned for Kai about that situation you mentioned, but I won't tell. :)

**Shinkutsuki** : Oh, _Okami_ is such a fun game. It's a rare find too. I bought the last one at a Game Stop near my house, and it was a used one. It works fine though. My cousin tried to find it for me before at the Game Stop where she lives and she couldn't find it. Good luck finding it! I hope you find it so that you can see how great it is! Ha, ha, you don't have to apologize for not reviewing my last chapter. All is forgiven. :)

**Satoke.Luna.: ** Thank you! Here's your update!

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: ** Thank you! And your hair sounds cool. Lime green too? My parents would kill me if I did that. As for the yogurt business, have you tried telling those people to stop? Or better yet, you and your friends should just move to a different table?

**Binti: ** Thanks! Yes, Kai. Hotness. Ha, ha!

* * *

(Dani's point of view)

Ino and I sauntered our way towards the room to greet everyone for dinner. I'll recap the earlier events for a moment. Team ten and I had been assigned on a mission to help protect the remaining survivors of the Yagari Clan from a group of "purists" who wished to rid the world from anything that revolved around darkness. The remaining survivors included an elderly named Megumi and her four grandchildren Kai, Yuko, Aki, and the youngest of the bunch, Kaori.

That was the main story in a basic nutshell.

"Ah, Miss Dani, Miss Ino," Megumi greeted with a warm, gentle smile. Around the dusty rectangular table sat the survivors of the Yagari Clan, along with Shikamaru and Chouji. Three opened pillows remained, reserved for Ino and me, and also Kaori, who wasn't present at the moment.

"Hi, Megumi-san!" Ino chirped as she took a seat beside Kai, much to Chouji's sudden displeasure. I took a seat beside Shikamaru, who greeted me quietly in a soft whisper.

I flitted my gaze towards the contents on the table. Resting before each and every person were chipped and slightly damaged china bowls and plates that contained fresh slices of cod and rice. Small cups made from the same material were filled with green tea that was fresh from the kettle, thus making the cup blistering hot to the touch. Wooden chopsticks were set on the rough pallid napkins that were tucked beneath the plates. The single lamp illuminated the area with its dim and faint glow. I then shifted my gaze towards the lonely pillow that sat beside Yuko.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, where's Kaori?" I finally spoke up, ultimately breaching the sudden silence that fell upon us.

The sudden screech from chopsticks scraping the plates was heard throughout the room. Megumi glanced up from her warm cup and fixed her gaze on me. "Kaori won't be joining us for dinner tonight," she answered simply as she sipped her tea.

"Why not?" I asked, sparked with curiosity, though in return, I received a light pinch on the arm by Shikamaru. I gave him a look as he gave one in return as though I shouldn't have mentioned anything.

Megumi let out a heavy and hopeless sigh and opened her mouth to speak, but didn't have a chance to answer my question, for she was suddenly interrupted. "My sister still doesn't trust you guys," Kai answered, keeping his eyes down as he played with the cod with his chopsticks. "She told me she'd rather not sit at the same table with you people."

Ino's brow twitched slightly at this. "No offence or anything, Kai, but your sister has some issues--Ack! H-hey!" She glared at me after I had thrown a piece of meat from the cod at her. She seriously had the biggest mouth and didn't know when to quit.

Yuko fidgeted in her seat as she scratched her head in a sheepish manner. "Yeah, just don't mind Kaori," she said. "She's like that with everyone, so don't feel bad. As Megumi-baasan already mentioned, she has some trust issues. That's all."

"Oh, okay..." I nodded softly that was hardly a whisper as I popped some soy sauce-drenched rice in my mouth.

Silence crowned over the room once again. Not a single word was uttered. It's funny how things work, you know, when someone attempts to start a decent, yet completely unnecessary conversation, and after it being answered, the strange, awkward state of silence creeps up once again.

Why does that happen?

"So, uh, Megumi-san," Chouji squeaked after the long period of silence, "Do you think you could give us a little more info on the Yagari Clan, like what exactly happened to them? Tsunade-san only scratched the surface for us."

There was a slight hesitation before Megumi answered. "Well," she sighed, swallowing her pride, "where do I start?"

"Wherever you want, I suppose."

Megumi gave a slight nodin reply. "As Tsunade probably stated before, the Yagari Clan was quite powerful. Around the time when war struck out in the Fire Country half a century ago, our clan was finally noticed by our strength and our ability, and many of the males of this particular clan were recruited as soldiers. They had fought bravely, and often time, were praised."

"However, our clan was also feared, even by our own allies back when they served in the war," Kai added in a soft tone of voice. "They saw what we were able to do to our foes. They were all witnesses of Yami no Jutsu, our clan's signature move, and they feared that we would somehow turn on them and cause them to suffer as well."

"But it wasn't true!" Aki butt in with a slight yelp. "We weren't traitors!"

"Yes," Yuko added, nodding. "Just because we were cursed with that kind of power, we would _never_ betray our allies like that. Only someone with ice in his blood would do such a thing."

"We were also...trialed for a little while," Kai continued. "Our clan had been watched by others in secret just to see if we would do anything to harm an ally. Of course, we passed the test and most of them had decided to let it slide and at least try to make peace with us."

"However," Megumi finally started again. "There were also people who still detested us even _after_ we had passed the test. They thought that because of our technique, we were sinful, and were tainting this world with a power they believe only the devil _himself_ would obtain. As Tsunade might of mentioned, they would be described as...'purists', though they didn't particularly dub themselves with that name. They certainly weren't ninjas, nor were they 'special' people. They were just regular villagers who suddenly snapped."

"It wasn't until after the war when they commenced with their plan to kill off our clan," Yuko said with a sigh, glancing down at her rice bowl and playing with her share of the cod with her chopsticks. "They didn't do it all at once to avoid looking suspicious. From time to time, we would have someone from our clan who had died in their sleep. There were a few cases when the victim was stabbed to death, and other cases, when we thought they had died from natural causes, they were actually poisoned from when the 'purists' drugged their food or drink."

"It went on for a couple of years, and that was when we knew that something wasn't right," Megumi added. "We had to flee from our homes to migrate to a different location. After we did that, we were in peace, and we thought that everything was going to be alright."

"That wasn't the case though," Kai sighed. "Those..._people_ ...they _wanted_ us to believe that our clan was going to be safe, like nothing serious was brewing. They stopped the killing on _purpose_ to have our clan believe those killings were just, well, unfortunate circumstances."

"They started the killings all over again during my young adult years," Megumi continued. "Our clan finally realized what was going on. A late family member of mine was an eyewitness of a killing that happened at night. She warned everyone the very next day, stating that the killings occurred at night while everyone was asleep. This caused everyone to become more alert, and even went so far as to not sleep at all.

"Although that seemed like a brilliant idea, that plan was foiled, since some people had accidentally fallen asleep, and due to the lack of sleep, concentration and thinking straight was limited. That family member of mine...she was slain that very night due to blabbermouth. Fortunately, that person was killed by yet another witness of the killing. My husband was among the many that were murdered, including Yuko and Aki's parents, and Kai and Kaori's father...I've watched them all die...as well as these kids. They had to witness their parents' death..."

I flitted my gaze from Megumi over towards her grandchildren, who had all reacted in their own way. Aki was biting the nail of her thumb as she struggled to fight back the tears that were building up in her soft blue eyes. Yuko stared at her twiddling fingers mournfully. Kai made a fist with both hands and glared at the table in ire.

I stared at the three in complete sympathy. Those poor souls. How tragic it was for them to lose their parents...to watch them die right before their very eyes. How horrible it was for them to lose the people they love, including the ones who gave birth to them. Of course, I could imagine how they must've felt...to lose an important someone...My mind drifted to the thought of an event that occurred about five years back, an event that I did not want to remember and a face in my mind that I did not want to envision to save myself from breaking down.

_Max... _ I thought, my chest aching at the thought of the name and face that clouded my inner thoughts. _**Why** , Max...?_

"They had died about six years ago," Megumi stated, thus interrupting my state of thought, which made me quite thankful for that. "Kai was eleven, Yuko was seven, and Aki and Kaori were merely toddlers. After the death of their parents, the five of us fled from the area. We weren't sure if there were anymore survivors at the time. Now, it's been proven that we were the only ones."

"To this day, we are still running for our lives," Yuko added after her brief moment of silence. "We were caught at one point, but thankfully, Kai took care of it. We only have Kai to protect us, and that's just from physical attacks alone. None of us are able to perform that jutsu that had those..._people_ believe that we were bad."

"And so, that leader of yours wanted you guys to help us out," Kai finally finished. "I can't say how many of them are left, nor can I say when they're coming back, but for the time being..." He let out a heavy sigh, causing the bangs to float up to reveal more of his beautiful face. "I can't do this all my own. I'm the only one here fighting them off..."

"We understand, Kai," Chouji nodded reassuringly. "We'll help you guys out. We can guarantee it."

"Yeah! Yeah!" Ino cheered, grinning at everyone (though most notably at Kai).

I gave a light smile at Ino, but then shifted my gaze over towards Shikamaru, who hadn't spoken a word since he greeted me earlier. I also noted that he looked very deep in thought. Curious, I lightly poked his arm, startling him a little as he turned to me and gave me a questionable look. "What?" he finally uttered in his usual sluggish drawl.

"You alright, Shikamaru?" I wondered.

"Yeah," he answered simply. "I was just thinking about something."

Since I was so curious, and that I wanted to know what he was thinking, I spoke again. "About what?" I asked in a light whisper so that he and I would have our own private conversation.

"About Kaori," he finally answered, whispering as well. "The death of her father traumatized her to the point where she cannot trust anyone outside of her own family. I guess you can say that we're no exception."

"I know what you mean," I nodded in agreement. "It's pretty understandable why she doesn't trust us. I could only hope that their story will have Ino and Chouji--well, maybe just Ino--to, you know, not think so negatively about her--"

"What are you two lovelies talking about over there?" Ino asked in a playful giggle.

Shikamaru and I suddenly pulled our gaze from each other and turned to the others, who were staring at us questionably. I guess we didn't realize how long we had been talking...and the fact that we were completely tuning everyone out in the process. I opened my mouth to speak, though I was cut off short. "Nothing, we were just discussing something private, is all," Shikamaru answered, covering up the fact that we were talking about the youngest child, Kaori.

No one replied to Shikamaru's little cover story, so it was easy to assume that they believed him and let the entire conversation slide. Just as silence started to slowly creep upon the room again, it was soon broken by a sudden screech from a door opening. We remained silent as the light pattering of small feet came making their way into the room. The volume of the sound increased each time it got closer to the room.

Popping her head from behind the corner revealed none other than Kaori. She was still donned in the large T-shirt and boy shorts that were the hue of night. Her ebony hair was slightly unkempt. "Ah, Kaori! Have you decided to join us for dinner?" Megumi greeted with a hopeful smile on her face.

Kaori gave a look, a kind of look that was completely stoic...showing absolute zero emotion whatsoever. An eight-year-old child shouldn't have a face like that. A child her age should be happy and carefree, ridding all of the troubles in the world due to their naivety and innocence. So _that_ was the result of a child who had watched her father die right before her very eyes...

Kaori answered with only a shrug as she approached the table. She stood before the lonely pillow that sat between Yuko and me. "Um..." she finally started in a quiet whisper. This gave me the time to notice that when Kaori wasn't yelling, her voice was somewhat melodious and very sweet sounding...well, _bittersweet_ was actually a better word for it. I could still detect a sort of roughness in her voice. She was most definitely a tomboy. "I wanna sit next to my brother..."

She glanced over towards Ino upon saying that. This caused Ino to tense up a little at her sudden glare. "_What_ ? _Me_ ? You want _me_ to get up?" she gasped in denial. "No way, man! I'm not getting up from--!"

"If you don't, I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!" Kaori suddenly yelped, releasing the inner demon that made an appearance at the first meeting.

"Ha! _Try_ me you little brat--! Dan--? OW! OW! OW!" I gripped onto her ponytail and dragged her over towards the empty seat that was at first meant for Kaori. I wasn't picking sides or anything, but enough was enough. I forced her to sit as I returned to my seat. "What was _that_ for, Dani?!" she snapped, glaring at me.

"Shut it, Ino, you're making a scene," I snapped in a harsh whisper.

"Did you hear what she said to me?! She's a freak! She's--!"

"It's perfectly understandable why she acts the way she acts," I interrupted, feeling my blood about to boil. "I'll tell you later."

"What--?!"

"I'll _tell_ you later!" I snapped a little louder this time. Ino flinched at my snap as Shikamaru gaped at me with surprise. I made an assumption that he had never seen me so...agitated before.

"A-alright! Alright!" Ino stammered, frantically waving her hands in front of her chest.

I didn't bother to answer her. I shifted my gaze over towards every person who was in the room, who were all gawking at me with surprised expressions on their faces. I must've scared them. Whoops. "Erm, sorry..." I apologized, hoping to break the ice.

"Oh, erm, it's alright," Megumi nodded, taking the last bit of cod and plopping it in her mouth.

I flushed as I turned my gaze down towards the plate before me. How embarrassing. To think that _I _ would be the one to attract everyone's attention. At first, I believed that I was just being too hard on myself, that Ino was the one who actually attracted the attention from everyone in the room and that I had just reacted at the wrong time. Perhaps that was the case. Perhaps not.

Perhaps I will never know.

Suddenly, my shoulder detected a familiar warmness that I had longed to feel for quite some time. I turned my head over towards my shoulder and found Shikamaru giving me a warm stare. "Don't be embarrassed," he whispered to me quietly as he dropped his hand to the side. The warmness I had desired had demised right before my very eyes.

I flushed again, though not in embarrassment, but rather, in modesty. I turned my gaze away from his as I rubbed my arm bashfully. "Th-thank you..." I timidly thanked.

Just as silence was about to peek its way through again, the process was interrupted when Kai abruptly stood from his seat, causing the table to shake slightly. He fixed his gaze upon the decrepit wooden door. He was like a sculpture, or even a doll. A tall, life-sized and beautiful doll. "Erm, Kai?" Yuko started, concern hinting in her voice.

He didn't respond. Instead, he dashed out of the room and out the front door, ultimately startling everyone at an instant. We hurriedly jolted from our seats and chased after the sudden angered Kai, only to be witnesses of a scene that shocked and horrified everyone.

Kai was sitting right on top of the lifeless body of an older, normal-looking man with ashen locks and tattered clothing. The deep crimson ink that seeped from the giant gash on his chest splattered on his chest and legs, ultimately giving the body a morbid hue of color. The bloodshed did not end from there, for Kai had continuously went on his way gouging the already dead man, causing more blood to splatter onto his once white and flawless face.

It was an image that refused to leave my thoughts. A kind of image that would scar me for the rest of my days. It wasn't just because of the bloodshed and the goriness of it all, but the fact that the reason behind it all was of self-defense, of protection...

Of fear.

Ridding the paralysis of her body and soul, Kaori abruptly scurried her way towards her older brother, clutching onto his blood-drenched arm and hand that gripped onto the equally blood-soaked kunai and pleading for him to stop. It truly was a heartbreaking scene indeed. It was as though to Kaori, what she saw in Kai at that very moment was the image of her parents' death, of how that man responsible for the slain was a somewhat imperfect reflection she saw in Kai.

The poor soul.

At an instant after Kaori's little episode, Kai finally dropped the kunai and hugged her tightly, accidentally staining her clothes with the result of the sin he had committed, the sin of killing another in front of the eyes of the innocent. He got off of the still corpse and walked back inside with Kaori, hanging his head down in defeat.

The shame he must've felt.

The rest of us were all silent due to the shock of it all. None of us even wanted to speak of what had happened...until now. "Erm...wh-what was that all about...?" Ino stammered in fright, freaked with the whole event.

Megumi sighed in response, but didn't answer her question. "That man Kai killed..." Yuko started, answering for her grandmother, "he was one of _them_ . I'm sure of it. Kai would _never_ attack just _anyone_ out of random. He must've sensed someone spying on us, and then he probably figured out that it was one of _them_ ."

"B-but I'm worried," Aki squeaked, clutching onto the front of her dress. "Wh-what if there are _more_ of them? What if that man wasn't alone? What if--?"

"Sh...it's alright, dear..." Megumi comforted, stroking the flaxen silk that crowned Aki's small head. "This is why Miss Tsunade summoned these kids. They're here to help protect us. There's nothing to fear..."

Unfortunately for her, I was able to detect the uncertainty of her voice. Truth be told, she had every reason to be uncertain. They had been running and hiding for years. How would she know of our ability? How would she know that we are able to actually help them instead of failing right before their very eyes? What if it was going to be the end for them? The end for _everyone_ there?

"Erm, Megumi-san?" Shikamaru finally spoke up after a long period of dead silence, ultimately interrupting my train of thought. "If Kai is planning to stay awake for the rest of the night in case this sort of incident happens again, I guess I'll assist him."

I flashed him an invisible smile. His words had touched and caressed my heart in many ways. I knew him well. I knew that he thought the whole idea was "too troublesome" since it would interfere with sleeping, which was another activity he enjoyed doing. Regardless of it all, he was still willing enough to help.

That was another quality of his that I had grown accustomed to; he would always step up and be an adult when help was needed, and that he would push all of his needs and wanting to the side for a moment just to help another when they really needed it.

Unlike many I have encountered, Nara Shikamaru was not a selfish guy.

Megumi nodded in reply as she flashed him a warm and gentle smile. "That sounds great, Shikamaru-kun, thank you," she thanked. She then turned her gaze toward Yuko and Aki, who were both still traumatized due to the earlier incident. "Come on, girls," she whispered, placing a hand on both their backs and leading them back inside. The only people left were Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, and me.

"Erm," Chouji started, breaking the silence that seemed to continuously creep upon us time and time again. "I-I think we should go back inside with the others."

"Good thinking, Chouji," Ino nodded in reply as the two made their way back inside the house side by side.

"Come on, Dani," Shikamaru said, grabbing my hand and started his way, but my hand slipped out of his grasp. "Dani?" I heard him whisper, feeling his eyes on my as my back faced him. I did not move a muscle for a long moment before I had decided to slowly make my way towards the blood-soaked body that rested on the dirt-covered ground. I knelt down before the body, scrutinizing each and every detail of the decrepit corpse.

Absurd, isn't it? It seemed as though the only answer for salvation is to kill or be killed. I saw it in the dilated eyes of the dead man, who wanted to rid the world from the evil that the Yagari Clan never possessed. I saw it in Kai, too, who had to kill for the sake of his family, thus tainting his already sin-stained hands even more.

I couldn't help but pity both, for they had succumbed to the very thought that killing is the solution to total salvation.

"Dani, we have to go," I heard Shikamaru speak up as I felt him grab my hand. I turned my gaze over to him and nodded as I stood up from the ground and followed his lead with my hand remained in his. I took a double-take at the corpse once again to seep that very memory into my brain, for it was an image I was going to witness sometime again in my life.

I was...afraid. I was afraid of the thought of killing another, and the thought of my teammates, my best friends, staining their hands with the blood that belonged to a life they took away. At that point on, I was on no one's side. Those people after the Yagari Clan were wrong for taking away the lives of a clan who hadn't committed any intentional crimes, and Kai's method of protecting his family was wrong, as well, for what he was doing was leaving more emotional scars for his little sister Kaori. I knew he was just doing that to protect her...but...

Is it truly impossible for people to talk things out? Is harming one another the only route to peace and protection? The world was corrupted, both this and my own. If bloodshed was the only route to ridding all evil, and to protect themselves, then I wasn't on anyone's side.

The only side I was on...was my own...

**(A/N: Chapter 24 is done. I sure hope I have explained things well in this situation. I hope... -crosses fingers- Also, I'm sure what many of you are thinking at this moment: Just who the hell is this "Max" character? Well, I'm obviously going not going to say in this author's note, but his identity will be revealed during the next two chapters or so. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. I'll admit that I probably got a little sidetracked while typing some parts of this chapter. Well, all I can say is that I hope you all liked this chapter. Read and review, everyone!)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	25. Heartache

Chapter 25

Heartache

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(A/N: Hi! I'm so very and truly sorry it took me a bit to update. I've been really busy lately. Plus I have other stories to work on. I know, I know. No excuse. Ha, ha. Well, here's the update! Enjoy!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 24..._ **

**Dragon of Twilight**: Thank you. Dani's snap was epic, I'll admit that. I'm glad you liked that chapter. As for the whole Max issue, well, your question will be answered in this chapter. Enjoy!

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Thank you! Oh, a tattoo? What's the idea? I wanna know! Ha, ha.

**Satoke.Luna.: **Thank you! And Max will be revealed in this chapter. :)

**Binti: **Thanks. Oh, my. I didn't expect many people to actually mention Max in their reviews. Ha, ha, well, you'll find out who he is.

**AnnabelleLee13194: **Yeah, those poor people. :(

* * *

(Dani's point of view)

Dawn had suddenly crept up after the long and endless hours of night in the ruins of Sei-an. I sat up from the bed and rubbed my tired eyes as the surprisingly loud snoring from Ino rang in my ears. I chuckled slightly at this as I sprang from the bed and groggily made my way towards the pile of clothes that were bunched together in a messy little clump. As Ino slept, I quietly changed into regular everyday attire and stepped out of the room.

As I walked through the small hallway into the main room, I found that there was no one present. I cocked up an eyebrow at this. "Odd," I commented, shifting my glance towards the window where the sunlight was shown seeping in, blinding me. "Everyone's still sleeping...and the sun's high in the sky, too."

I scratched my head as I moved in towards the room more, only to be startled suddenly as the door swung open. That was when I noticed Kai stepping into the house with a loud yawn. What I had detected on his flawless face were slightly faded rings under his eyes, along with his eyeballs completely bloodshot. He yawned again. "Morning, lil' lady," he greeted tiredly.

"Erm, hi," I responded quietly, brushing the soles of my feet against the floor. "Didn't get any sleep, I'm guessing?"

Kai shook his head in response. "Nope," he answered, his voice intoxicatingly husky and low, as he sluggishly moved into the main room more. "Fortunately, nothing happened. By the way, Shikamaru's out there, too."

My head suddenly shot up. So he _did_ stay up after all... "Oh, really?" I said, blinking twice.

"Yeah, the dude's, like, dead," he replied flatly. "Not literally, of course, but you know what I mean. Try to wake him up, won't you?"

I nodded in response as I watched Kai tiredly limp his way pass me and into the small hallway. I tiptoed towards the front door and opened it. I peeked my head through the crack and spotted Shikamaru sitting beside the door. His head was hung low so that his chin was resting on his chest. He was breathing steadily.

Chuckling slightly, I quietly tiptoed over to him and crouched down right in front of his unconscious body. "Hey, wake up, sleepy head," I giggled, poking his shoulder a few times before the muscles in his body tensed up.

He fluttered his eyelids open about halfway and locked gazes with my eyes. "Um, hey?" he uttered in a low and tired voice.

I greeted him with a cute wave. "Hey, you finally woke up," I grinned. "How did it feel staying up all night?"

A low grunt escaped his lips as he shook his head, grimacing. "It sucked," he put it simply. "I've never lost any sleep before in my entire life..._ever_. This is really--"

"'Troublesome'?" I finished with a slight giggle. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Actually, Dani, I was going to say, 'This is really pissing me off', but 'troublesome' works, too," he corrected, smirking a bit as he struggled to stand from the ground. "I'm going to shower, so, uh, yeah..."

"Alrighty then," I nodded, watching him enter the house. This gave me the opportunity to view the current scenery of the ruins of Sei-an. The area looked slightly less...how to put this..._disturbed_ than how it was when team ten and I first entered into the village. Sure, the decrepit houses and the withered and dead plant life gave off a bit of a bad vibe and all, but unlike the first day, the sun's rays managed to seep their golden glow through the cloud-infested sky above.

Flitting my gaze downward, I took notice of a peculiar red spot on the ground--a spot that was left behind by Kai's sudden attack on the intruder the other night. Those memories remained lingering in my thoughts, refusing to creep away. I began to shudder at the thought that cursed my mind ever since I witnessed it. "Oh, _why_ do I have to think about it?" I complained, pressing my fingertips to my temples. "Come on, Dani, think _happy_ thoughts..."

I shut my eyes softly for a moment to think. From out the blue, an image of a familiar face burst into my subconscious. It was the face of a smiling young teenager who had finally reached adulthood. His curly brown locks crowned his head, causing his gentle hazel eyes to glow. He flashed his award-winning smile at me. "M-Max..." I uttered in a low whisper, feeling tears stinging my eyes. "Dammit, Max, why am I thinking about you _now_? You _know_ I love you, but please, just get out of my thoughts already, please..."

"Whatcha talking about, Dani?" a soft and familiar voice squeaked from behind me. I whirled around, only to find Yuko standing by the door way with a bundle of sheets and a wooden bucket in her hold.

_Crap...was I loud? _I thought, my eyebrow twitching at that thought. "U-uh, it's nothing, Yuko," I assured her, struggling to hide the fact I was indeed lying to her face. "Say, what's with that bundle in your hand?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean _this_?" she asked, looking down at the sheets in her tiny arms. "Oh, I'm just off to do some laundry as usual. Would you like to assist me?"

"But what about those people who are after you?" I warned her in concern. "Do you think it's safe for you to go out there in the open?"

"Oh, I'm not worried about it," Yuko assured, strolling away while rocking the bundle in her arms in a slow and steady rhythm. "If something happens, then Kai will come and rescue us. I have no doubt about it. So, come along, if you like."

I nodded as I followed the young girl's lead. I would double take back towards the little crooked house before watching the dusty road ahead. It didn't take long for the two of us to finally reach to a small brook right near the exit of the ruins. The little brook was the only thing that was so...lively in the dead village of Sei-an. Although it wasn't crystal clear and free from anything that would taint it, the water was flowing freely and lively about the stream that led to an unknown area outside the village.

"Here we are," Yuko hummed, getting on her knees and dropping the sheets into the stream. I crouched down as I watched the white sheets float freely and absorb the water. "So," she began as she commenced with the laundry. Being helpful, I mirrored her moves and began washing the sheets as well. "I hope our situation isn't a burden to you guys."

I shot my head up from the sheets and turned to face her. "Oh, no! Of course not, Yuko!" I assured, blinking once. "It's no trouble at all! The _last_ thing we want is for innocent people to get hurt or killed because of what some psychos believe." I flashed her a warm smile. "So don't worry about it, Yuko. We're just here to do our job."

"I suppose. Thanks, Dani. You have no idea how much your help means to us," Yuko thanked, squeezing some excess water from the sheets she washed and placed them in the bucket. "And although she doesn't show it, I'm sure Kaori appreciates your help too."

I slowly nodded my head as I mirrored her moves. "I had a feeling," I admitted, causing Yuko to cast me a surprise glance for a reason I couldn't explain. "I mean, I can understand why she wouldn't anyway. After what had happened to you guys, it's pretty reasonable for her to have trust issues. She lost her father and--" I shrugged as I stood up, brushing some dirt off my pants. "--in a way, I can kinda relate to her sort of situation."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yuko questioned me in curiosity, throwing the last pile of sheets into the stream and washing them.

_Oh, **hell**..._ I thought, trying to think of something to say. "Erm, it's nothing, Yuko."

"Oh, um, okay..."

Yuko finally finished with the last bit of laundry and piled them up in the bucket. As soon as that task was completed, she and I finally headed our way back to the crooked house, only to find Kaori and Aki kicking a ball to each other out in front. Aki glanced up and greeted the two of us with an adorable grin. "Hey, guys, welcome back!" she squealed, waving her arms above her head. Kaori gazed up as well, casting us a blank stare that me made shudder to the bone.

Why did I find her expression...disturbed?

"Hi, Aki," Yuko giggled, patting Aki's head and headed into the house. I, however, did not follow her lead and just remained standing there.

Aki turned her head from her older sister and looked at me. "Hi, hi, Dani!" she beamed. "How are ya this morning?"

"Fine. Thanks," I nodded, smiling at her. I then turned to Kaori with yet another smile. "Good morning, Kaori." She didn't respond. Instead, she kept that blank stare on her face and scurried off into the house, leaving Aki and me baffled. I figured it was the perfect time to speak. "Erm, I'm guessing she still doesn't trust me or the rest of the team..." I assumed.

"I...guess not..." Aki commented. "But I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure she'll eventually warm up to you once you can finally prove your trust to her."

"Oh, alright." With that said, I finally made my way into the house as Aki followed my lead. There, I found Megumi finally awake and preparing breakfast. I also found Chouji struggling to drag the half-asleep Ino into the room.

Megumi glanced up from her cooking. "Why, good morning, Dani," she greeted with a warm smile. "I see you're the early bird of the day, huh?"

I shrugged in response. "Eh, it's weird since I'm usually the last person to wake up," I told her.

"Well, in other news, I have a feeling today is going to be slow and uneventful," Megumi guessed, placing bits of food on a plate. "Then again, it is only a hunch, so we cannot fully let our guard down. God knows _when_ something like last night will strike again..."

I nodded. "Understood. In the meantime--" I headed for my room. "--I'm going to commence with writing more in my little story."

Since Megumi had predicted that the day was going to be quite slow and uneventful, I figured that it was the perfect time to continue typing that still unnamed novel of mine. It had been a while since I worked on it. Could you blame me, though? I had been busy like crazy, and I hardly had any downtime for myself.

Just as I started picking up my walking speed, I had accidentally bumped into someone. As a result, I plummeted to the floor. Why does that _always_ happen to me? Why do I _constantly_ end up clumsily bumping into someone and then end up falling afterwards.

It's no wonder why my parents didn't name me "Grace"...

"Whoa, we need to stop meeting like this," a familiar voice chuckled as I caught sight of a hand towards me.

I think I had some sort of idea who it was...

I chuckled a bit as I gazed up towards Shikamaru. "Heh, heh. Yeah, this is getting really old," I said, taking his hand as he pulled me up.

Although I was usually not the type to stare or even like the thought about staring in general, I just couldn't help myself this time. He just looked..._amazing_. He wasn't wearing his usual attire, but a--I'm serious, this surprised me for some reason--black T-shirt along with long and slightly baggy pants of the same exact hue. Since he probably just got out of the shower, his hair was drenched and draped over his head, framing his face.

_Yum_.

A faint blush crept to my cheeks as I stared off to a wall. It felt a little awkward just staring at him like that. "So, uh--"

"Uh--"

"Yeah, so, I'm, uh--"

"Heading to your room?"

"Yeah, yeah! So, um--" The two of us try to maneuver our way around each other, but we somehow clumsily end up facing each other again and again until we finally found our way around each other and went our separate ways. I finally entered my room and shut the door behind me. As my back pressed against the door, I let out a heavy huff. "Man," I began, "now _that_ was awkward..." The event that took place just moments ago lingered in my thoughts. "I never realized how good he looks after taking a shower. I mean, hot _damn_. He should have that sort of appearance more often."

Look at me. What do you think of when you see someone in _my_ kind of situation--drooling over some guy--I'm not saying Shikamaru is just "some guy"--who had just gotten out of the shower? Giddy? Fan girl-y? Odd? A bit "out of character" for my taste.

That's just putting it mildly.

But whatever.

I motioned over towards my bag to obtain my beloved laptop from its resting place. I went about my usual procedure before I had full access to the Internet. It's amazing how I was still able to keep contact with the real world while I, Dani Shields, was stuck in a two-dimensional world of anime and--oddly enough--ninjas.

Just for kicks, I decided to sneak a quick peek at Facebook to check out Jessie and Natalie's conversation...incognito style. What I had found left me appalled. The way the two conversed with each other...was a complete and utter eyesore. Chat speak. How disgusting. Seriously, how do people manage to stand typing like that, with all of their, "lyke omg, im so ttly cool! lolololol!!11!!1111!"? I literally cringed at the thought.

It's like they have two-digit IQs or something.

I quickly exited the window to avoid developing thoughts about gorging out my own eyes. To make my vision and mental state at ease, I opened up the document that contained my story. "Finally," I sighed in bliss, typing away in a quick speed. "Some good ol' fashion literature. Chat speak can go to the dogs..."

As I casually typed away, pouring all of my thoughts and ideas onto the screen, my mind drifted a bit. I recalled what Megumi had said earlier, about how she predicted that the day was going to be a slow one. What if the whole thing was just a waste of breath? What if the attackers _weren't _coming back due to their cowardice? What if the remaining survivors of the Yagari Clan were safe and need no further assistance from us?

If that was the case, then really, what was the point?

"Well...we'll just give it a couple of days..." I groaned.

* * *

I struggled to become the upper hand of the epic battle between the Sandman and me as I fought to keep my heavy eyelids from sliding over my eyes. My fingers finally came to rest after many long hours of endless typing as they lay flatly over the dark keys on the board.

Although I was still dead tired, I still had enough energy to turn my head towards the slightly cracked window to my right and peered off to the evening sun that shown through the heavily scattered clouds. I immediately shut my laptop off and placed it gingerly on the wooden nightstand beside me. I yawned loudly as I stretched my arms outward and leaned back until the mattress of my bed cushioned my back.

"There," I breathed, huffing loudly in bliss, "the deed is done." I shut my eyes. "I guess Megumi was right after all. No interruptions. No disasters. Nothing. It's kinda like a double-edged sword. Both good _and_ bad. Good because of security, and bad because of boredom..."

There suddenly came a loud yelp from across the hall just outside my room. I instantly shot up from the bed, giving the door a look. "The hell?" I uttered, hopping off the bed and moving towards the door. Before I could even grasp onto the knob, the door suddenly flung open as Ino ran into the room. As she did that, I noticed her holding her wrist. What exactly happened?

"That stupid little brat!!" she yelled, squeezing her wrist tightly.

I cocked up a brow. "..._Eh_?"

Growling furiously, Ino thrust her wrist towards me, revealing tiny red bite marks along her arm. "That brat! Kaori! The little monster _bit_ me!"

"Ouch..." I managed to utter. "Ino, what did you do?"_ Who knows? You probably deserved it somehow, anyway_...

"_Nothing_!" she spat in frustration. "All I did was talk to Kai for a bit, and, y'know, stroking his shoulder from time to time, when all of a sudden, that...that...little demon child! She bit me so hard that I could've _sworn_ I was going to _bleed_! She even called me a home-wrecker! She doesn't trust us, Dani! She never has and she never will! She--!"

"Okay, Ino, that's enough," I said flatly, interrupting her ranting. "Look, just tell me where she is so I can, you know, talk to her."

"Okay, fine, but, hey, it's _your_ funeral," she scoffed, plopping onto her bed while still gripping on her wrist. "She's in her room."

I rolled my eyes in response as I exited the room. Only one thought ran in my brain as I sauntered down the hallway towards the door that led to the girls' room. _Whatever you did, Ino, you shouldn't have done it... _I thought with a sigh as I finally found myself standing before the door. With yet another sigh exiting my mouth, I slowly and softly knocked on the door a few times. There was no reply. "Erm, Kaori?"

Still no reply.

"Hey, uh, Kaori, it's Dani."

Still nothing.

"Uh, hey, listen, can I talk to you for a second?"

And again, nothing.

I exhaled heavily once again as I shook my head. "I-it's fine if you don't wanna talk," I called, shuffling the sole of my right foot along the floor and turning my body around so that my back was facing the door. "I mean, I know you don't trust me and--"

Before I could take a step, a quiet creak was heard from behind me. I whirled around and stopped only to face the young and innocent face of Kaori, who poked her head through the crack of the slightly opened door. She remained silent as I gaped at her questionably. What was going on? Was she starting to trust me? Or was she a bit suspicious of my intentions?

"Erm, hi, there," I greeted with a sheepish smile as I scratched my head. "Can I talk to you for a minute? It'll be really quick, I promise."

Kaori cocked up an eyebrow upon my greet, but then sighed and held the door open, offering me to come inside. Surprised by her actions, I nodded a "thank you" and stepped inside. "So," she started rather flatly, shutting the door behind her as I took a seat on the edge of her little bed, "what do you want?"

"What do you want?". "What do you want?". Now tell me, do you find that to be an appropriate way to talk to someone, especially at a girl her age?

Being mature about it, I decided to shake that thought out of my mind. "So, uh, listen, I heard that you might've...'injured' Ino and--"

"Is she that blonde bimbo who just loves to hang over my brother like a cat in heat?" Kaori spat out coldly, glaring at the floor.

_Yikes_.

"Erm, yeah, I suppose, but listen, I know it's probably bugging you like crazy that she's doing that. I admit that even _I_ find that quite annoying. But really, Kaori, do you think it was necessary for you to _bite_ her?"

Shrugging, Kaori slowly motioned her way towards me, dragging her feet on the floor. "Of course it was..." she quietly confessed. "I don't like her." I chuckled at that final reply, though it granted me an odd look from Kaori. "What's so funny?" she asked.

I struggled to suppress from giggling any further. "I can kinda see why you find Ino to be quite unlikable. Sure, she can be a little annoying...Wait, scratch that. That's only putting it mildly. She's _very_ annoying." I warm smile graced my lips. "But despite that little fact, she means well. Trust me."

She continued giving me that look as I stared at feet rocking to and fro. "Look, Kaori," I started, my voice meek and mellow. She looked at me as I shot my head up to face her. "I understand why you're a bit iffy about...trusting us. I mean...why would you anyway? You watched your loved ones--"

"--Shut up..." she suddenly interrupted in a murmur, her eyes brimming with sudden tears.

I held my hands up defensively. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to get you upset," I apologized. For about the umpteenth time already, I let out a sigh. "Look, the point is...although I understand that you won't trust us..." I paused for a moment. "...I know how it feels..."

I looked up for a moment. Kaori's expression was completely neutral. She remained completely motionless and silent. This signaled for me to continue. "I-I know how it feels to lose someone very special...See..." I opened my mouth, but nothing but air exited my lips. "I-I..." I was struggling. "I..._lost _someone...about five years ago...and..."

"What this someone important to you?" Kaori suddenly brought up, somewhat sparked with a new sense of curiosity.

"Mhmm..." I nodded slowly. "He's was..._very_ important to me...He...was my entire world...and your sort of situation kinda...sparked those memories of him so suddenly and--"

Suddenly, I felt something press against my lips. They trembled under the icy cold touch of Kaori's index finger. I gazed at the child questionable as she stared back. Her expression was...blank...and lacked with any sort of emotion. "You have tears in your eyes."

"Huh?" I blinked once and immediately, my vision blurred due to tears that were starting to for in my eyes without my complete knowledge of it all. I shut my eyelids tightly in attempts to cease the tears from forming any further. "Heh, heh, sorry," I apologized as the tears began to subside. "I got a little too emotional and--"

"It's fine..." she interrupted with a shrug. "It's kinda understandable why you would anyway..."

"Y-yeah..."

From that moment on, the two of us fell into a state of awkward silence. I hated that. At first, there was nothing for us to say, and now that the two of us finally had the time to have a decent conversation, we were left with nothing to say at all.

Kind of confusing, isn't it?

"So--" Kaori suddenly started, breaking the silence. "I guess with that said...Erm..."

"It's okay," I told her, noticing her uneasiness.

"I-I'll see you later...Bye." At that sudden moment, little Kaori rushed her way out of the room, leaving me somewhat baffled.

"Huh," I managed to utter. "Now _that _was rather weird..."

"You can say _that_ again..."

I jumped at that sudden comment that murmured from behind the corner of the door. That was when Shikamaru popped his head out in the open before he completely made his entrance into the room. "So, I'm guessing you and Kaori are finally getting along?" he wondered in a bored tone as he dug his hands into his pockets.

I shrugged in reply. "We're more like bittersweet acquaintances, really," I corrected. "At least I got her to talk...somewhat..." I then shot him an glance, cocking up a brow. "By the way, how long have you been there exactly?"

"Since I heard Ino bitching about Kaori."

"So in other words, you were following me?"

"Yes."

Groaning forcefully, I shook my head for no apparent reason whatsoever. "Just what I need, right?"

"You lost someone?" he suddenly brought up, turning his gaze towards me.

My eyes widen at his sudden response. He had heard me. He had heard everything I had told Kaori; about how I had lost some very special and important to me, about how Kaori's situation had just suddenly sparked my thoughts about the person I had once held near and dear to me when all I wanted to do was leave those dreaded memories behind. Now that he had heard everything, was I forced to indeed _tell_ him everything? _Everything_?

"Dani?" he started again, a sense of what I had detected was concern hinting in his voice.

I opened my trembling mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Shutting my mouth, I tried t speak again, but still, nothing. Great, this is just perfect. For a very long time now, I had been struggling to deal with those memories and it worked so well that it didn't feel as though anything had happened. Now that I had met Kaori, and that Shikamaru was practically "forcing" me to come clean, what choice did I have but to tell him everything?

Sighing for the millionth time already, I had finally made my decision. I've decided to tell him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "Erm, Shikamaru?" I began finally, sound a bit meek and unsure. He looked at me, awaiting for me to continue. "Erm, we can continue this in my room."

Erm, _why_ did I say that?

The two of us. In my room. _Alone_?

Goddammit...

* * *

"Okay, so what's up with you?" Shikamaru asked, leaning against the closed door of my bedroom.

I sat at the very edge of my bed while scraping the soles of my feet against the floor. I kept flitting my gazes from my feet and to the floor and to my feet again. "It's not as though I actually _planned_ on being this way..." I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"Dani..."

"Alright, alright. Look, the thing is..." I exhaled heavily. "Kaori's situation...I can kinda relate to her..."

"Well, don't we all, though? I mean, we've _all_ lost someone at _some_ point in our lives--"

"I had a brother."

For the first time after many years, I admitted it. After so many years, I was finally able to come clean and acknowledged the existence of someone. For the first time in five years, I was able to finally tell someone that I had an older brother.

I took the chance to take a glimpse of his expression, only to find him staring at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion. This, of course, signaled me to continue. "His name was Max," I uttered in a low voice, looking down again. "He was my older brother...about seven years my senior...

"Max was...to be considered the best friend I ever had," I continued with a sad chuckle. "I would always turn to _him_ whenever I was lonely, sad, or scared. He comforted me, and treated me as though I was the only person in the world." I let out yet another sad laugh. "In fact, he was the one who first called me 'Dani'..."

I looked up again to see if Shikamaru had a comment, but as expected, he didn't. He didn't look as shocked as earlier, but I could tell he was still a bit startled and baffled. I looked down again and continued. "At one point of my life, I had this really huge crush on a boy named Robbie from my homeroom class. I thought he was the cutest thing on the planet. I was just like those other girls who constantly fawned over him.

"It was close to Valentine's Day, and instead of simply buying a card for him, I made one. It was actually pretty creative. It was this paper heart that was painted to perfection, and I completely showered it with glitter...I thought he would like it, but instead, he just laughed at me. He took it from me and--get this--he ripped the heart right in the middle. I was crushed that day.

"I told Max about it. He comforted me, and he let me cry on his shoulder. He told me I could do much better, and that all Robbie was was just some jerk who was going to grow up with a closed mind and nothing to live for. Robbie is a soccer player, and well, that's just about it. There's nothing special about him. He's just some popular pretty-boy with feces for brains--"

"What happened to him?"

I jumped at his sudden question. I wasn't expecting him to say anything. "What?"

"Your brother. Max. What happened to him?"

Oh, no. Here we go. I did not want to go into detail on what had happened five years ago. I did not want those dreadful memories to come flowing back and haunting my thoughts and dreams for a long period of time. I knew that with such memories, it is impossible to avoid them, but in this case-- "He died."

I heard a gasp escape his lips at my sudden answer. Yes. It was true. I would not lie about that. Who would lie about death?

"He's dead, Shikamaru..." I repeated, my voice shaky and slightly quieter than earlier. "It was about five years ago when it happened. It was Saturday night and he and his buddies planned for a night out. Of course, alcohol was involved. Although I was ten, I was aware of the situation, so I did what any concerned sibling would do and waited for him...

"He told my parents that he would be home at around 12:30. He never did though. I assumed that he was just a little late, so I continued to wait for him. Eventually, it became 1:30...and then 2:00 sharp. My parents did everything they could to get into contact with him, but with no luck at all...It wasn't until 2:15 when we received a call from the hospital...It was Max's friend John, who was also with the group at the time." My voice became shakier. "They were involved in an accident...He and the rest of the gang were at the hospital, and were released with nothing but scratches...however..." I hesitated.

"My brother did not make it."

The entire room remained silent. I wasn't surprised to be honest. I mean, what _could_ anyone say to something like that. I decided to continue. "My mother...she went ballistic...and my father...I had never seen him in denial so much before. I wasn't exactly sure how to feel at the time. I guess the news just...shocked me so much that I was unable to show how I really felt about it...even at his wake...and his funeral...I didn't cry once. In fact, I was silent the entire time...for the entire week...It was as though I was mute..."

My voice cracked slightly at the last word. "Why...?" I uttered silently, feeling tears well up in my eyes to my dismay. "Why did he decide to make that one decision...? He had so much going for him...He was going to finally graduate from high school and go to college...he had friends, and girlfriend, and a family that loved him..." My voice raised a little. "He left the one person who had looked up to him...and saw him as her role model..." Louder. "And he just _ruined_ it...!" Louder. _Do not **cry**! _"And all because of some fucking drinks...!!"

I rather long speech finally came to an abrupt pause when I felt a hand over my eyes, restricting me of sight. I heard a heavy sigh escape his lips. "Dani..." he said at long last, his voice low. "It's...it's okay to cry, you know..."

And that was when it hit me. It struck me so hard that it even almost hurt. Upon listening to his words, a stream of tears rolled down my cheeks, somewhat damping his hand that still remained over my eyes. He didn't want to see me cry.

At long last, I was able to shed tears for my brother after being unable to for the past five years.

Maybe it was because I was able to tell someone about the situation...that I was able to finally get those thoughts and hidden feelings off my chest. Whatever it was, it kind of frightened me a little...yet at the same time, I was a bit...relaxed now?

The silent tearing eventually escalated into full-blown sobbing. Shikamaru finally removed his hand from my face and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled my closer as I rested my head on his chest, damping his shirt with me tears. He stroked my hair, hushed me a little, and told me that everything was going to be okay. I was uttered "poor Kaori" tearfully over and over again, because I felt her pain.

I was...extremely grateful that Shikamaru was there for me.

The real question is...now that I finally poured out my feelings about the brother I had never mentioned around anyone since the death, how the hell was I going to face tomorrow...?

**(A/N: Ah! I'm sorry again for taking such a long time with this chapter! I was busy and I had serious writer's block as you can see from this chapter. In all honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with it. I was seriously out of ideas, and I felt as though I half-assed on it a little...or a lot. Plus, I was rushing to get it done, not to mention I'm starting to get tired of this story. **

**However, I'm not going to stop. I don't want to disappoint anyone by abandoning this story. Okay, as for the next chapter, I'm going to provide some more action. This chapter is simply about Dani revealing the fact that she had an older brother.**

**For some reason, I kind of regret that now. I don't really like the whole "I had an older brother who died about five years ago and I'm finally going to tell you about it" deal. **

**I am truly sorry for those whose of you who are disappointed in this chapter. I'll try to make up for it next time. Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter anyway.)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall **


	26. Spiraling

Chapter 26

Spiraling

* * *

(A/N: Hi. So chapter 26 is finally up. For about the umpteenth time, I'm going to apologize for taking a bit to update. June has been crazy. There was prom, my cousin's bachlorette party, testing for college, and very soon, my graduation and my cousin's wedding. This is all in the same month. It's so very stressful. Also, I'm working on my other story _Tattered Pages_, and I'm also in the process of making a Death Note fanfiction.

Well, at least I've gotten this chapter up. I'm thinking about ending the Yagari Clan saga in the next few chapters or so. I don't know. It depends on where I go with this. Well, enjoy!)

**_For those of you who reviewed chapter 25..._**

**Dragon of Twilight**: Ha, ha, yes. Kaori bit Ino. I know, I know, but I can't help but feel sorry for the poor dear. Yup, Max was Dani's brother. I've been thinking that through for months now. It's been three months since you updated? I'm the type to feel guilty if I haven't updated in a month! Kinda silly, isn't it?

**Wateranddarkness666: **Thanks! Here's your update!

**predictablym: **Oh, thank you. I'm glad you actually liked that chapter. I wasn't expecting that it would make someone actually cry. I don't plan to stop this story. I'll try not to.

**Seven O'Clock Dinner: **Oh, I'm so sorry about your brother. I guess in a way, you do relate to Dani in this sort of situation. Well, here's the update.

**AnnabelleLee13194: **Erm, I hope you realize that this story isn't meant to be a comedy. It pretty much falls under the general/romance category. Sure, I do write some comic relief scenes, but as far as that goes, that's just about it. Everything is just general. Also, I honestly don't find that idea of a character grieving over the lose of his/her loved one as "cheesy". If I came off as rude, then I apologize. It wasn't intentional...

**Janne!: **Aw, thank you. I'm glad you like this story!

**InnerSakura14: **Oh, thanks for the idea. It's given me some ideas. I appreciate it!

**roseandthorns19: **Thanks! Here's your update!

**The Univerasal Disaster: **Wow, I guess a lot of people liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!

**polkadotrainboots: **Oh, thank you! And yes, I do plan on continuing it. Many people seem to like it so much that I just can't stop right here and now. Writer's block is a killer, so I'm going to do my hardest on this story.

* * *

(Dani's point of view)

My eyes fluttered open after about a few hours of slumber. It was a rather difficult task to accomplish, and I was surprised that I even went through a few hours of it. Batting my eyes a bit from weariness, I shifted my gazes towards every nook and cranny of the room. Only one single lamp lit the entire room with its dim glow. It seemed as though twilight was no longer present, and that nightfall had finally took its place. It didn't take me very long to realize that two arms, two very familiar arms, were still snaked around my waist. I smiled to myself, knowing exactly who it was.

Shikamaru had stayed there and comforted me the entire time. He didn't have to do it. He wasn't forced to. It was just out of the sheer kindness he had. He was just that kind of person you could turn to when you're down. Even if it annoyed him, and even if he found it "troublesome", he would still...

Even though I'd much rather stay there in his arms, I managed to wiggle my way out of his grasp. Slightly flustered, I tiptoed my way out of the room. I was feeling a bit parched, so I decided to head for the kitchen to grab myself something to drink. The entire little crooked house was hushed in dead silence. Everyone else was still sleeping silently in their beds undisturbed.

I managed to quietly grab a slightly chipped glass and turn the facet as I watched the translucent liquid cascade into the glass. Taking a few sips, I leaned against a wall and stared off in wonder. _Man, some mission **this** is... _I thought. _First, we had to go through listening to the long and depressing tale of the Yagari Clan's fate, then Kai had to go so far as to murder someone who was planning on attacking us, then we had to go through a whole uneventful day of doing absolutely nothing, and finally, I just blurted out to Shikamaru of all people that I had an older brother who died...Man... _For a brief moment, I glanced up towards the ceiling. Smiling softly, I pointed upwards. "See, Maxie?" I said with a light laugh. "I'm finally at peace with you. Thanks for always watching over me."

I jumped suddenly, and not because of the sudden chills one would usually get from time to time, but rather, from the soft shuffling of bare feet scraping against the wooden floors. I whirled around to see who or what had interrupted the brief moment of silence that was about to completely emerge. A lean--shirtless, may I add--body calmly made its way into the room. Chills ran down my spine. "Huh? Whatcha doing up, little lady?" It was Kai.

I quickly turned my head to the side, some pink claiming my cheeks due to the fact that not only was he very handsome, he was also, well, standing there half naked. "I, uh...I needed a drink..." I stammered, a cue for me to grab some more water to cool myself off from the sudden heat that flushed my entire body. I heard him chuckle though my loud gulping. "What?" I asked in a slight snap, slamming the cup on the table.

He chuckled the second time, only to motion closer towards me. "It's nothing, lil' lady," he replied with a smirk claiming his full lips. "You're just kinda cute when you stammer."

I tensed up at his comment, the blood slowly rising to my cheeks bit by bit. _The hell? Is he trying to flirt with me or something? _I thought, struggling to rid those ridiculous thoughts from my mind. "Erm, uh, how's life?" _Smooth, idiot. **Very** smooth... _I took a glimpse at Kai's expression for a moment. He raised a brow at my question, which eventually led to a soft little laugh under his breath. I didn't feel threatened by it, considering the fact that I didn't detect a single trace of hinted mockery in the laugh.

"You're weird," he commented coolly with a smirk, which triggered me to sigh heavily.

"I know, I know," I groaned, nodding limply. "But, hey, what am I gonna do, huh?"

"Ha, ha, yeah."

How awkward. How _extremely _awkward. So there I was having a random conversation with an incredibly hot dude, shirtless and all, and I was a nervous wreck...well, sort of. What can I say? I had always been a rather awkward chick whose social skills weren't exactly "top notch", _especially_ around the members of the opposite sex. "So do you have a boyfriend?" Kai suddenly brought up out of the blue, ultimately startling me.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks once again upon hearing that sudden random question he had asked me. "N-no?" I squeaked, unable to lie to him. But really, why the hell would I lie about something like that anyway? I gulped loudly in an obvious nervous manner. "Wh-why do you ask, anyway?" I felt a sudden impulse to step back, and that was exactly what I did.

He took notice at my sudden action and smirked slightly. Oh, dear god, what did I do? "Just curious, is all," he shrugged, stepping closer to me much to my horror.

Wait, is it really _that_ horrible for a hot guy to approach you like that?

I started stammering like crazy as my cheeks became hotter and hotter upon every step he took. He slapped his right palm against the wall behind me, causing me to jump in surprise. Our bodies were pretty close in contact, though our faces were even closer. Our faces were so close that our noses were barely grazing, and that if he had made even the tiniest move, our lips would've probably... "K-K-Kai...wha-what are you--?" I asked, babbling like an idiot, as my face redden even more due to both embarrassment and nervousness.

Kai was a bit taken back at my actions, but that just completely washed away when yet another one of his smirks graced his lips. He was obviously amused. He was mocking my current condition. Furthermore, he was going to take advantage of the situation.

He cupped my chin with his hand and tilted my face upwards a little. His action startled me a bit, and I was not looking forward to what he had in mind. The moment I found his face moving closer to mine, my mind began going haywire. _No! _I shouted in my mind as I struggled with my poor attempts to break free from his grasp. _I'm not about to have my first kiss get taken away by some guy I'm not even attracted to! I mean, sure, he's nice to look at, but I have no feelings for him and--! No! No, this isn't right! This isn't right at all--! Please, stop it, Kai! _

_Stop!!_

"Dah--! The hell was _that_ for!?"

I slowly and cautiously shot one eye open to take a peek at what had just happened. What I found was Kai rubbing the back of his head as he shot a glare at something...or rather, some_one_. Standing behind him was someone I didn't think would be awake. He had a hard-covered book in his grasp. One could only guess that he hit Kai over the head with it.

Guess what? It was Nara Shikamaru.

"Sh-Shikamaru!" I gasped in shock, though deep down, I was mentally thanking him millions.

"Jeez, man! Can't you take a joke?!" Kai snapped, glaring daggers at Shikamaru, who was returning his glare, much to my surprise.

"Huh. Funny, I never knew that harassment was considered a 'joke'," Shikamaru commented, tapping the hard-covered book on his palm. His annoyance of the matter was kind of terrifying to me, considering how he was usually so laid back.

"Eh, Shikamaru, it's alright, really," I said in a slightly nervous chuckle. What was I _supposed_ to do? I didn't want some riot to start, _especially_ when it was so late at night.

Kai scoffed at this. Uh, oh. "Huh. At least _she_ has enough sensibility and believes me."

_Actually, you made me a bit nervous there, bud_, I thought as my eyebrow twitched slightly.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Shikamaru asked in a slight snap, which wasn't a common thing for him to do.

"Exactly what it means!" Kai barked, glaring daggers at him.

Okay, this was going on far enough. What the hell did I start anyway? It all started out with simple small talk until Kai started hitting on me and even almost kissed me, even though he was apparently "just kidding around". And now, Shikamaru seemed very annoyed and even...no, wait. I didn't want to make assumptions. I didn't want to think that seeing Kai practically taking advantage of me had made him...

_Jealous_.

I took a step between the two, holding my hands up to the level of my chest. "O-okay, boys, knock it off," I commanded in a timid tone, nervously taking glances at them both. Neither of the two made any drastic movements towards each other. In fact, neither of them even moved an inch. However, their cold and deadly glares remained plastered on their faces. Unbelievable.

Men.

"This is a bit silly," I continued in attempts to calm them down. I shot a look towards Kai. "Kai, although you were 'apparently' just kidding around, it wasn't funny at all, so really, you can't blame Shikamaru." I turned towards Shikamaru. "And Shikamaru, although I appreciate your sudden act of chivalry...um..."

I honestly couldn't think of anything to say to him. In truth, he really didn't do anything wrong. He was being protective of me, and I really appreciated it, especially since he stopped Kai from doing something I was a bit scared of. However...

I sighed. "I appreciate the chivalry and all, but I could fight my own battles," I told him. He blinked towards me.

_Wait no! What the hell did I just say?! _I thought in surprise, however, that did not stop me there. I flashed him a toothy grin, which gave him a hint that I wasn't at all annoyed with his act of protection (and maybe even an act of jealousy). I gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry about me. I'll make out just fine on my own!"

"...That's it?" My grin disappeared as I blinked a few times at that sudden response from Kai. I turned to face him. It startled me a bit, because he no longer glared daggers at Shikamaru. He was glaring daggers at _me_. I shuddered a bit. His eyebrow twitched slightly. "Why does _he_ get the better treatment?" he snarled, pointing at Shikamaru. I felt like laughing a little, only because his annoyance and his facial expression stuck me as...amusing.

Then it happened.

A sharp wail from an older woman roared from just outside the front door, assaulting and murdering the once peaceful atmosphere.

What in the world...?

"What the hell was that?!" Shikamaru gasped as the three of us turned to the front door that led to the outdoors at night.

The three of us stood there for a moment that felt like hours in my mind. We were motionless, confused, and a bit frightened. I heard a sudden sharp gasp escaping from Kai's lips. I finally managed to pull my gaze from the wooden door and turned to him. His eyes had widened, and only one single word drew out in a quick breath.

"Baasan...!"

What the--?

Kai suddenly dashed out the door. Shikamaru and I looked at each other, startled by Kai's sudden act of action, and then followed him out the door.

What I saw that moment wasn't pleasant. It just wasn't right...

Kai was on his hands and knees, trembling at the blood-bathed corpse before him. Thin ashen hair was tainted with the thick crimson liquid that was the very source of human life. Dark eyes on onyx remained open, yet they were still and deprived of any trace of life. Not a single breath or word was uttered from the cold blood-stained lips of the victim. It didn't take much to identify the body.

The victim? None other than...Yagari Megumi.

I let out a shot and loud cry as I covered my lips with horror. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't pull my gaze from the bloody corpse of the late Megumi. "Who...?" I shakily stuttered, tears welling up in my eyes.

I didn't receive any sort of reply. Only silence. I couldn't bear to look at Kai, but I could only guess that a mixture of grief and rage surged throughout his mind and body. I turned to Shikamaru, who stared down at Kai with sympathy. Silence remained.

And that is all...?

There came a loud crash that intruded the state of dead silence. It was a crash that greatly resembled the sound of a window breaking. The glass shards drummed the wooden floor. Was it a break-in?

"No!" Kai roared, finally able to leave his dead grandmother's side as he hurried into the house. I heard Shikamaru utter, "This is too fucking insane..." before he followed Kai in. I finally managed to have my lower limbs go into motion after that brief state of shock and followed the two.

Shrill screams abused the once quiet atmosphere of the house. Before the three of us could reach to one of the rooms, Chouji came hurrying out to meet us. His face flushed with dread. "Chouji, you look terrible," I pointed out in concern.

"Chouji, what's going on?" Shikamaru pressed on his friend, who was still panting heavily.

"Man...middle-aged...barged into room...screaming...Yuko...Yuko..."

With anger finally taking complete control over his body, Kai violently grabbed Chouji by his shirt and drew him near his scowled face. "What about Yuko?! What the hell happened to her?!" he barked, demanding an answer.

"K-Kai, please calm down..." I advised in panic, my hand caressing his shoulder, as I watched Shikamaru barge into the room from the corner of my eye. The wails of fear from Aki were soon very audible and clear.

"Sis-Sister! That man took my sister away!!"

That was a cue for Kai to finally release Chouji from his tight and angry grasp as he ran into the room. "Let's go," I told Chouji as the two of us chased behind.

There, I found Ino sitting on the floor with her back against the wall embracing a hysterical Aki. The boys rushed over to the broken window, peering out to the distance to catch sight of the culprit responsible for the mayhem. What really caught my eye the most was little skinny Kaori standing before the scattered broken shards on the wooden floor. She was motionless...still...like a porcelain doll with no emotions.

As Shikamaru had previously stated, it was insane. It was just so fucking insane. If I could recall, everything was so peaceful and calm, and everyone went about their lives without a care in the world. Sure we had all predicted that someone unpleasant was going to eventually intrude our peaceful and uneventful days there, but not like this. Sweet old Megumi was murdered, and the culprit kidnapped poor Yuko.

Why? Why must these things happen to the innocent? Why must unpleasant and uncalled for events spiral out of control and ruin lives? Is this the end? The final battle of the mission? The last straw?

And that is all...?

**(A/N: Ahhh...I'm so so sorry I took forever to update!! Forgive me!! -bows out of control- Well, I finally have it done! Woot!! -throws confetti- Well, I know it seems very rushed, but I tried. I wanted to get this chapter done. Alrighty, the next chapter may just be the final part of the Yagari saga. I'm not entirely sure yet. Something may come up while I work on my other two stories. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Read and review, everyone!**

**And again, I apologize for the wait. I hope this chapter wasn't too too bad.)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	27. Another Tomorrow

Chapter 27

Another Tomorrow

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(A/N: Hi, everyone. Twilight-to-Nightfall here. My sincerest apologies for keeping you guys waiting so long for an update. I believe I uploaded the last chapter in...July? Damn. I'm sorry. As I stated in the author's note of one of my other stories, I had been pretty busy. I've been suffering from serious writer's block and my creative juices weren't really working up to par. I could only work on this chapter a little bit at the time, and that was only when I actually had an idea. Life sucks when you have writer's block and it's killing me. I'm just glad I've finally updated this story. Hope you all enjoy this update!

Also, another reason may be that I'm not as much of a fan of Naruto anymore as much as I used to be. I mean, I haven't been keeping track of the anime or the manga for _months_. Then I figured, since when has this story ever followed the actual plotline anyway? Ha, ha. So I'm continuing this story as usual.)

_**For those of you who reviewed chapter 26...**_

**Phear the Insane: **Thanks! And I see you've changed your pen name. Very nice. Well, here's your update! Sorry for the long wait.

**AnnabelleLee13194: **Ha, ha, it's cool. I guess I was being a tad violent-killing-happy in the previous chapter. Just wait until I get to those points in my Godchild fanfiction. Kukuku...Ha, ha.

**TheWinchesterAngel: **Thanks! And I shall!

**Lollu: **Ha, ha, it's alright. Don't worry about not reviewing every single chapter, dear. Hee. And thanks for those lovely reviews. Ah, yes. Megumi's death. I had thought about it for a while, so I decided to do it. I figured it'll just make things more intense.

**roseandthorns19: **Thanks! And yes, protective Shika is protective. Hee, hee.

**polkadtrainboots: **Ha, ha, thank you. I found writing that bit with Shikamaru and Kai quite enjoyable. I had fun with it. Ha, ha. Yes, homework can be evil too...

**Univerasal Disaster: **Heh, thank you. And yes, Megumi is dead. There are no tricks or anything that would magically "revive" her. Unfortunately, poor Megumi-san is no more.

**InnerSakura14: **Hm...That's a pretty neat idea, actually. I never really thought about the Akatsuki being a part of this story, but we'll see what happens. I kinda already have a plan set for when this saga ends. It'll be a surprise!

**Janne: **Ha, ha, I'm glad you enjoyed that whole Shikamaru--Dani--Kai bit. Such wonderful comic relief. Ha, ha. And yeah, I'll be dropping some hints of romance every now and then. Perhaps, we'll get some from the lazy genius? Ha, ha.

**I-Eat-My-Vegetables: **Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Oh, the money deal. I never really thought about that...Ha, ha. Well, let's see. She probably had some money with her when she got sucked into the computer. Or maybe Ino or Inoichi gave her some? Oh, wow, I actually thank you for pointing that out for me, because I just had an idea!

**invisible-gurl: **Ha, ha. No, no, there is no raping in this story. I forbid it. Ha, ha. Well, I'm glad you like it.

**shannon55544: **Oh, thank you very much! I'm glad to hear that I have another fan of this story. Oh, wow, this is your first Naruto fanfiction? I feel kinda special now. Ha, ha. And as for the whole Shikamaru and the CD thing, I kinda have an idea set for that, but I'm not going to tell, since it's kind of a spoiler. Well, here's your update!

**Lucy: **Will do! I apologize for taking so long.

**TaruGalateia: **Here's your update!

**LeopardstarXOCryingtearsXO: **Oh, thanks bunches for the compliment! And here's your update!

**Siyui no Akatsuki: **Thanks! And yeah, it's been a long time since I updated this story. The fact that I haven't updated in a while makes me feel really, really bad.

**Marika-Uchiha: **Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! And thank you for the compliment. :) Here's your update!

_**IMPORTANT NOTICE BELOW!!**_

**From now on, unless I say otherwise, everything will be in Dani's point of view. Somehow I feel that constantly writing (Dani's point of view) in every single chapter looks sloppy, and somewhat unnecessary since the story is mostly in her perspective. I repeat, unless I say otherwise, everything will be in her point of view. Thank you for your time. **

_**Twilight-to-Nightfall**_

* * *

_Why? Why must these things happen to the innocent? Why must unpleasant and uncalled for events spiral out of control and ruin lives? Is this the end? The final battle of the mission? The last straw?_

Running. It was the only course of action I could do. Running...and chasing...in search for a sick person who killed and kidnapped for the sake of the twisted cult he was a proud member of. My chest ached terribly, and it wasn't just because of the running. Nerves, fear, and deep concern also juggled together to create a huge part in the situation.

Old and wise Megumi was dead. She was murdered by a sick man, who didn't stop from there. He kidnapped Yuko for reasons I myself cannot fathom. The whole situation was just insane and completely out of hand. All I had hoped for was the end of this mess, Yuko's safety, and at least for a slight hint of twilight to gleam through the eternal darkness that was the horrible situation in our hands.

The boys had left a little while earlier to tail the culprit responsible for Megumi's murder and Yuko's capture. Ino and I were responsible to stay behind in the last family's now completely broken home and comfort and protect Aki and Kaori. Dearest little Aki was a complete wreck, and did nothing but sob over her older sister's abduction on Ino's shoulder. I only sat there and watched Kaori continuously staring out at the never-ending darkness as though she was awaiting for dawn to finally break. She stood over the shards of broken glass from the intrusion, and there were moments where I had feared that she was going to cut her bare feet if she had made even the slightest move.

The boys were gone for a very long time and Ino and I were in a state of worry. We just weren't sure whether or not they had found the culprit yet, or worse...But we just wouldn't think like that. It wasn't until just a few moments ago when Ino and I had decided to help with the search. We didn't know where to start, but anything was better than just sitting around and doing absolutely nothing to help. Although she and I had absolutely no intention of traumatizing the children any further, we had no choice but to drag them along as well. We just couldn't leave them alone...not even for a minute.

It was a bit of a challenge to get Kaori to budge. She just stood there lifeless and unemotional. I had no choice but to lift her from the ground she stood and carry her on my back as Ino did the same for Aki. We ran off into the night. We didn't exactly know where we were going, but hell, we were more than confident that the others didn't head off too far.

My legs were growing tired from the running. My breathing became heavier after every breath I took. I was far from the running type. As I started to slow down, Ino took the time to notice my struggle and stopped at her tracks. "Hey! You okay?" she called, rushing back to my side.

"Just peachy..." I replied in sarcasm between heavy breaths. "...and out of shape..."

Ino's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Hm...you want to take a break or something?" she offered, obviously not thinking when she said that.

I shook my head as I stood tall with Kaori clinging on my back. "Nah, I'm fine," I assured her. "We have no time for breaks, so really, my needs aren't important."

"Well...if you say so..." She pulled her gaze away from me and rested upon the distance ahead. "They shouldn't be too far...I hope..."

I shrugged as I followed her gaze. I stared off to the distance as though longing for the night to finally end. I gulped. "Ino, I'm afraid..." I voiced almost silently.

She gave me a look. "What? Why're you scared? We've been through these types of situations before but only under different circumstances, is all."

"Yeah, I know, but--"

"Don't be scared, Dani. It'll be alright." The one who spoke up was none other than Aki, who peeked her cute little head from behind Ino's shoulder. "You guys will do great! It's all of us against just that one guy. He doesn't stand a chance!"

Dearest little Aki. She was being very optimistic at a time like this. She had confidence, something that I couldn't obtain during that moment. She believed in me. She believed in all of us. She was sure that justice will prevail, and that this mess will finally come to a close once and for all. However, there were still doubts and assumptions that crept silently behind all of that confidence and reassurance. Aki knew it and I knew it, and I was sure Ino and Kaori knew it too. For instance, what if that man had backup lurking about, whether they were part of that sick and deranged group or an alliance? Worst of all, what if we were too late and that man did away with Yuko on the spot?

Ino and I commenced with running again. Outside the walls of the ruins of Sei-an surrounded vast woodlands. I was...paranoid. I kept on getting this bothersome gut feeling that something was going to just randomly pop up from behind the many tall trees. I was never in for surprises, and I sure as hell wasn't in any mood for one.

To my surprise, Ino's running came to a halt and slowly crept around, constantly checking behind trees as though she was searching for something. I cocked a brow at this action but I didn't question her about it. Instead, Kaori did that for me after being silent for such a long time. "Erm, what are you doing?" she questioned, observing Ino's actions.

Even Aki had grown curiouser and curiouser by the minute. "Ino, I don't understand, what're you doing?" she asked, practically reiterating Kaori's question, but only phrasing it a bit differently.

Ino continued with her abnormal routine as she replied, "I'm just making sure we're not going to get any 'surprises' when we least expect it."

My eyes widen a bit at her reply. _The heck? Did this chick just read my mind or something?! _I thought, my eye twitching.

"Oh, Ino, we'll be fine," Aki giggled, obviously amused by her actions. "I doubt there's going to be anyone or anything popping out from behind trees."

"Well, you never know!" Ino declared, her head snapping back to face Aki's cheeky little grin.

I couldn't help but join in on Aki's amusement of the matter while suppressing some giggles that were slowly bubbling up in my throat. "I, uh, I think you've been watching _way _too many horror movies, Ino," I managed to croak out through a slight giggle that found its way to escape my lips. Of course, what I had said pretty much contradicted my subconscious, since I too was paranoid over something that seemed so trivial to others, at least to Aki and Kaori, that is.

I shook my head as I reluctantly headed over towards Ino and patted her on the shoulder. "Eh, I wouldn't waste your breath over being so paranoid," I said, then thinking to myself if that reply even made any sense. "Let's just move on and find the guys. We can't just--"

I caught my breath and the entire area was hushed in a dead silence. It was eerie, but the fact that everyone paused was something that cannot be reversible, reason being because the sound of a loud crack snuck its way in as I talked. I started to shake a little. "Wh-what was that?" I stammered, frantically looking around in panic.

Ino smiled a sly smile, which indicated her amusement of my paranoia. "Ha! And you're telling _me _that I watch to many horror films?! Hypocrite!" she teased, sticking out her tongue mockingly.

My face flushed in embarrassment and annoyance. "I-it's not funny, Ino! I really did hear something!" I snapped. "And you were just as freaked out as me--!"

"Uh, guys...?"

"GAAAAAAH!!!"

Ino and I literally jumped off the ground startled upon hearing a voice. Aki and Kaori were staring at us rather strangely as we frantically looked around. "I-IT'S A GHOST!!!!" Ino shrieked, literally crying as well.

"What? A ghost? What the hell are you talking about, it's only me!" Shikamaru stepped out from behind one of the many skyscraping trees that formed the dark and murky woodlands that surrounded the ruins. He cocked an eyebrow at the sight of Ino and me practically freaking out previously, and then hung his head down and shook it sluggishly. "My god, you guys..." he muttered.

Around the corner, Chouji and Kai emerged from the darkness as well. "So, _this _is why you guys were screaming like banshees..." Kai guessed, suppressing a chuckle.

I sighed heavily in relief, not only because my paranoia was slowly starting to subside, but also the fact that the boys were safe and alive. _Good, they're okay...thank goodness...._ I thought, a small smile tugging my lips.

Although I was relieved, Ino, however, was fumed. It was painfully obvious, judging by the light hint of pink lingering on her cheeks and the steam coming from her ears. "You guys are such asses! Who you think you are, sneaking up on us like that?!" she snarled through her teeth, clenching her fists to her sides. "I almost had a heart attack thanks to you bastards!"

"Language, Ino, there are children present...." I warned her sternly after using foul language to express her anger. "Besides, we have more important matters to worry about." I turned my head to face Shikamaru. "So have you guys found the guy yet?" I asked, searching for a glint of hope in his eyes.

Instead, Chouji was the one who responded first. He shook his head while staring at the dirt ground. "Unfortunately not...." he replied sadly.

"Our pursuit is failing so much that it defies belief," Kai scoffed, his gaze casting off to the side. "The guy's nothing special at all, so I really don't understand how we could lose--" He paused for a moment as he gave Ino and me a questionable look. "Erm, I thought you two kittens were supposed to be at the house while the three of us look for that guy?"

"That was originally the plan, but we couldn't just sit there and do nothing to help," I explained, setting Kaori down as Ino did the same for Aki. I watched Kaori run to her brother's side. "We were worried about you guys, and--"

"Aw, ain't that cute? You were worried about me? I knew you had a thing for me, Dani," Kai smirked, winking at me flirtingly.

My face was shaded red like a ripe apple. Ino and Chouji gawked questionably at Kai, and were most likely curious of his sudden hint of flirt and affection towards me. Shikamaru didn't really show any particular emotion, but I could tell he was anything but amused or pleased.

...Okay, maybe I really _couldn't_ tell how the guy was feeling at the moment, seeing how I couldn't find a hint of any emotion other than neutrality. I admit it was kinda freaking me out a bit. If only one had the ability to read minds....

"_Ahem_...anyway...." Shikamaru finally voice, catching everyone's attention at an instant. "We hardly have the time for senseless lollygagging. We still haven't found the culprit, and Yuko's life is at stake. This whole situation has gotten way out of hand, so we're going to have to put an end to this disaster immediately."

"Of course, you're right about that, but the real problem is where to look, and if it is necessary to split up," Chouji cut in. It appeared as though he and I were on the same page.

"Hm..." Shikamaru rested his chin on the lower pads of his palm, his knuckles hiding his quivering lips from the sudden chill the swept upon us. "You have a good point," he muffled through his knuckles, then releasing his chin. "Here's the thing. The guy could be anywhere, and normally, the most logical action to take is if we split up and search. However, that sort of action would probably work best if we're dealing with more than one pursuit."

"So, in other words, you think it's best if we all just stick together and find the guy?" I asked, finally understanding where exactly he was driving at.

"Exactly," he replied. "As Megumi told us before she died, these people we're dealing with aren't exactly a real threat--"

"Unless you're sleeping...." Ino cut in, shuddering a bit from both the chill and the nerves that were slowly creeping up on her.

"Well, that sort of thing can apply to _any_ kind of person, shinobi or not," Shikamaru pointed out as he shrugged. "We're not sleeping, are we? Plus, judging by his actions, he seemed....cowardly..."

I raised an eyebrow at his assumptions. "'Cowardly'?" I questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, think about it," he explained. "Besides Kai, you, and me, everyone else was asleep. The perpetrator could've easily done away with everyone who weren't conscious, but instead, he didn't take the advantage he had. He murdered Megumi, who was probably the weakest of the remaining survivors most likely due to her old age. He didn't take the time to murder anyone else, probably because he saw them as a sort of threat. But what I don't understand is why he kidnapped Yuko instead of just killing her right there, along with Aki and Kaori. I don't see what he's trying to accomplish by doing that."

I thought about what Shikamaru had said for a moment. He was onto something in the explanation. If the man in question was as cowardly as he assumed he was, then what exactly was the point in kidnapping Yuko if he could've just killed her right there and then? What kind of motive, if any, was that? "Maybe..." I began, "since he's too cowardly, he decided to kidnap Yuko because if he had killed her, he was probably afraid that someone would've woken up from the ruckus?"

"Hm...no, that would be flawed," Shikamaru pointed out. "Abducting her would cause the same amount of riot as killing her too."

"Yes, but wouldn't _killing _her be much worse than--"

"We don't have time for this!" Kai suddenly snapped, cutting me off completely. "Is the question of whether or not the perpetrator was cowardly or has a specific motive really all that important? We need to save Yuko because her safety has much more importance right now."

Oh, right. Yuko's life was at stake at the moment. Crap.

What in the world were we doing just standing around while making deductions of some theory that harbors no real importance other than the safety of Yuko? We would have time for trivial matters like that for later. Kai was right. We had to keep moving on...for Yuko's sake...

Kai snarled through his teeth as his clenched fist began to shake. "This is stupid. If you guys are just going to stand there, then I'll just go find Yuko myself...." he hissed, stomping away from the gathering and heading deeper into the woodlands.

I huffed loudly as I stared off at him. "Come on, Kai, don't do this," I begged monotonously. Kaori watched as her brother stormed off, and moments later, she finally jumped off my back and scurried over to his side, following him into the dark.

"Eh....What's _his _deal?" Ino finally uttered, turning away from Kai and facing the remaining group.

"He's just frustrated," Chouji replied, trying to make sense off all this. "His cousin's in serious danger so of course he's going to act all moody and stuff."

"You're right..." Shikamaru muttered, agreeing with Chouji's words. "It's normal to act that way when someone's dealing with the kind of crap he has to go through. We're only human after all."

I nodded my head in agreement, keeping my gaze towards Kai's direction even though he and Kaori were no longer in sight. "Poor guy...It must be unbearable for him, having to be in charge of everything and having to deal with a bunch of senseless bull...."

Aki's lips pouted as though pitying her cousin. "He'll be alright," she assured. "I'm sure everything will end well and we can all live peaceful and happy lives."

"Thanks for the note, Aki, but as far as I'm concerned, a resolution like that is barely within our reach right now," Shikamaru said as he began to walk towards Kai's direction. "We should follow Kai if we hope to get anything accomplished."

We all nodded and started following him until we made an abrupt stop upon hearing a familiar voice shrieking, "Yuko!!" The voice was recognized to belong to Kai. Worried, we hurriedly made a run for the path ahead, even though we were still a tad unsure of where exactly we should be heading to. We arrived at a clearing just outside of the woodlands and found Kai and Kaori kneeling in front of a still body that laid silently on the grass. Curls of gold, a faded dress...pale...

We were rendered speechless, and Ino was the first to actually say anything...or in this case, holler anything. "Oh, no, Yuko! Is she alright?!" she screamed, being the first to rush over towards Kai's side to observe the body while carrying the petrified Aki on her back. Chouji followed her lead as did Shikamaru, but he stopped and glanced back towards me.

"Come on, Dani, what are you waiting for?" he asked me.

I finally snapped out of my brief haze. I was in too much shock to even move or speak, because I thought we have arrived too late for Yuko's rescue. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. "U-uh...y-yeah...." I finally stammered, slowly walking towards the group before receiving relieving news from Chouji.

"She's breathing!" he exclaimed in happiness. "She's going to be alright!"

I placed a hand over my chest and sighed deeply. "Oh, good, she's okay," I sighed in relief and in bliss.

"She must've fainted," Shikamaru guessed as he and I made our way towards the group. "So what do you suppose happened to the kidnapper?"

"Who knows?" Kai shrugged, staring down at the unconscious child in his arms. "But who cares. As long as Yuko's okay, then to hell with that guy."

So...what now? That was a question that continuously reeled in my mind during that moment of relief. Yuko was going to be alright, so where do we go from there? How do we know if the kidnapper was gone for good? What if he returns? And if he did, _then _what? I didn't think the war was going to be over, not now, or probably even ever. It's possible that those kids were going to keep running for the rest of their lives, that they were never going to grasp peace since it'll be so far from their reach.

"But we can't let that creep get away with this!" Ino shouted, thus interrupting my inner monologue. "I mean it's a good thing that Yuko is okay, in fact, it's a _great_ thing, but are we seriously just going to let that guy go?!"

"But we don't even know where he went, or why he just simply dropped Yuko off like that," Kaori finally brought up after not speaking for a long period of time. "Is it really worth getting into all of that?"

Ino's face relaxed greatly upon Kaori's explanation, though it still shown uncertainty. "I dunno," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest uncomfortably, "I mean, I don't think it's very normal for a kidnapper to drop off his victim like that. It's kinda sketchy...."

She _did _drive a very valid point...

I took a glimpse at the unconscious form of Yuko, whose face twisted into a grimace in her subconsciousness. The sudden movement startled me. "Y-Yuko?!" I stammered, causing everyone else to perk up as I rushed to Yuko's side in a hurry.

A small grunt escaped the blonde girl's lips as she slowly opened her eyes, only to widen when she saw everyone hovering over her. "U-uh...wh-wha-what?" she managed to utter in obvious confusion as she blinked a few times. "G-guys? What in the world?" she continued, weakly sitting up and refusing to pull her startled gaze from everyone's faces. "Where am I? What happened?"

Chouji chuckled happily as he patted her head. "We found you passed out here," he grinned. "We don't know what happened to the kidnapper, but it's a very good thing that nothing serious happened to you. You're safe now, kiddo."

Yuko bit her lip slightly. "W-well...that's good then...." she muttered. "But are we going to be alright?" She faced Kai. "Kai?"

A small smile tugged Kai's lips as he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll be alright...." He turned his head to the side and raked his hair with his fingers. "But we're going to have to leave this place and head on off somewhere else...just to be safe."

Good plan.

"So...what do we do now?" Chouji asked.

Kai shrugged at his question, a smile still plastered on his face. "I say we head on back home and end the night with a nice hot meal. Whaddaya say, guys?"

"Wait, you're thinking about food--?"

"Alright! Let's do this!" Ino shouted in euphoria, interrupting Shikamaru as she pumped her fists in the air. "Time to celebrate!"

"Ye-ha! Onward!" Chouji cheered.

Shikamaru and I watched as the group started heading back. "Um, hey," I started, facing him. I caught his attention as he looked back at me. "So, does this mean it's all over now?" I questioned, searching for a hint of reassurance in his eyes.

He shrugged, hinting that he really wasn't too sure either. "I...guess it is. Let's go."

"Right..." The two of us started to follow the rest of the gang, though I stopped suddenly and turned around. I found Kaori standing there, her back facing me, as she gazed intently at a group of bushes that were rooted a couple of feet from her. Shikamaru and I looked at each other for a moment before I decided to speak up. "Kaori, what are you doing? Everyone's leaving," I called, heading towards her.

She didn't reply.

I turned to Shikamaru and gave him a look. He waved his hand, telling me to go on. I nodded and turned back toward the little girl. "Hey, Kaori!" I shouted, hoping that it would finally get her attention.

It never did.

As much as I hated to admit it, the fact that she didn't say anything really bothered me, more so than it should have for some reason. It disturbed me that she was just standing there with her back facing me and that she hadn't said a word in the longest time. Sure, I would think from my experiences with her that those actions were normal, but I couldn't help but wonder why should it, especially now? Her cousin is safe and there was nothing to worry about any further...right?

"Kaori!" I snapped, causing Shikamaru to flinch as I stomped towards Kaori. "What gives, Kaori?! Why aren't you answering--?!"

"?!"

I stopped moving when I noticed the group of bushes suddenly shook violently. I let out a gasp as I hurriedly grabbed Kaori and hauled her far away from the bushes. "What the hell?!" I croaked as I started to shake as well.

Startled as well, Shikamaru shouted back at the others, "Guys, get back!" When the rest of the crew finally realized that something was wrong, they immediately stood beside us.

"Wha-what's going on?!" Chouji and Ino shrieked in, to my surprise, perfect unison.

While everyone gaped at the bushes in panic, Kai was the only one who shown indifference. "Um, guys...?" he started with a bored tone. "You _do _realize that it might just be an animal, right...? So I _really _don't see why you are all making such a big fuss over it--?"

His breath caught in his throat when the bushes started shaking violently once again. My blood ran cold when a familiar someone stepped out from the bushes, a familiar someone that neither I nor anyone else wanted to see, especially now. Yuko's kidnapper, Megumi's murderer, and the one person who was responsible for the horrid night...he was there, standing before us.

It appeared that the man really didn't seem to be a ninja after all. He didn't possess any stealth or even weapons that presented him as one. Instead, he shakily held out a simple steak knife towards us. Perhaps he was just a coward after all?

His sudden appearance started everyone. In truth, none of us actually believed that he was going to turn up again...at least...not so soon. Kai bared his teeth, letting out a low and angered snarl. "_You_...." he began, shooting the shaken man daggers with his hard stare. He clenched his fist. "You've got some nerve showing your face again...after what you did...killing my grandmother and then kidnapping my cousin...."

The man had nothing to say to Kai. He continued trembling while gripping onto the steak knife in his sweaty palms. "N-nobody move!" he squawked in his poor attempt to sound threatening. "I've got a knife here, so don't you freaks of nature do anything, alright?!"

"Freaks of nature" he says? Like _he_ was one to talk.

We all couldn't help but gape at the man who was standing before us, sweating bullets with a knife in hand. None of us had any sort of clue what to do during the situation. The man was clearly insane, yet a coward? None of it made any sense.

There was a sudden flare in Ino's eyes as her teeth started grinding together. "Who are you calling 'freaks'?!!" she barked. Seems like she was going to live that insult down just yet...

Startled, Chouji hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand. "Be quiet, Ino!" he whispered to her harshly, hoping to silence her from her nagging, which kinda did seeing that her babbling was muffled by his hand over her mouth.

My eyes rolled to my side and rested on Kai. I glanced down from his angered face and stared at his shaking fist. I actually feared that his fingernails were going to dig so deep in his palm that he may actually start gushing out blood. It kind of worried me. I reached my hand out for his shoulder and tried to think of something, anything, to say that would calm the poor guy down, though I had doubted that _anything_ would cool him down at the moment.

There was a sudden glint in his eyes, almost like a spark that sort of flashed for a quick second all of a sudden, that even caused him to flinch. I really didn't think much of it until I heard a slight gasp from the culprit. We all gawked at the armed man as we watched his body start to twitch. He gasped for air and the pupils of his eyes shrunk. It was abnormal, yes, but it wasn't anything frightening...that is, until he let out an ear-piercing screech.

The man dropped the knife and held his head tightly. His screams were so terrifying and loud that it caused many waves of echoes. "WHAT?!! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!! IT'S SO DARK--IT'S SO--!!! NOOOOOOOO!!! GET AWAY FROM ME NOOO!!!!"

His screams and actions terrified me. It all happened so suddenly, and I had absolutely no idea what triggered him to act this way. I turned to Kai, who also looked taken aback from what was going on. However, he refrained from moving. His stare was still, and it continued to set on the suffering man, as though he somehow had no control over it. I didn't think things would get any more gruesome and terrifying.

However, I was wrong.

Dead. Wrong.

"AHHHHHH!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" The man, with his head in his hands, dropped on his knees writhing in pain. He dropped one hand from his head and shakily reached for the knife.

The worst was yet to come.

Through a small chorus of gasps of fright, I quickly shielded Kaori's eyes and shut my own due to my queasiness. To rid whatever was troubling him in his head, the man stabbed his forehead with the knife and proceeded in doing such violently. So many voices reeled in my head, from Ino's gasps, to the terrified sobbing of Yuko and Aki, to Chouji and Shikamaru trying their best to stop the man, and of course, the cries of the man, a poor unfortunate soul.

And then, nothing.

With my shaking hand still covering Kaori's eyes, I slowly opened my own, only to feel nauseous in the end. The man was as good as dead, his face splattered from the blood that gushed from the multiple knife wounds that were scattered all over his forehead. Shikamaru and Chouji, horrorstricken, hovered over the bloody corpse. Ino gazed at the sight in shock. Terrified little Aki cried on Yuko's shoulder. Kai's expression remained the same, the look of shock and shame written all over his face...the horror over the fact that he had unintentionally taken the life of another human being...

* * *

It seemed as though tomorrow was never going to come around, like the dreadful nightmare we had faced that night was never going to come to an end and that we would continue to suffer from the sorrow, the paranoia, and the dread.

None of us slept that night when we finally returned to the house. Kai had spent the rest of the night burying Megumi's body and creating a decent grave that was beautified by various types of wildflowers found by Yuko. I could remember watching the sunrise the next day, and I remembered being mesmerized by the radiance and the beauty of the sun peeking over the horizon. Although I was still a bit frightened from the incident from the night before, I had a feeling that things were going to look even brighter now.

"So...you guys are leaving Sei-an for good?" Ino questioned the last four survivors of the Yagari Clan. When the sun had fully risen in the sky, Kai and the girls rummaged through their belongings and packed the items they needed and cherished most. They were going to leave the forgotten village. They didn't have a concrete idea of where their final destination will be. All they knew was that they had to get out of there.

"Yeah, I figured it'd be the best thing to do for me and the girls...." Kai replied, scratching his head with one hand and holding a bag of his belongings in the other.

"But do you have any sort of idea of where you'll go?" Chouji asked. "You can join us and live in Konoha."

Kai flashed a warm smile as he held up his hand. "No, no, we'll be fine," he assured. "We'll manage somehow. Also, I need some space and work on controlling that damn jutsu in private. I couldn't control myself."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine with a little practice," Shikamaru advised. "You don't want to overwork yourself. Plus, you shouldn't make your sister and cousins worry about you too much, _especially_ since you're in charge from now on."

A hint of pink tinted Kai's cheeks as Aki and Yuki giggled at Shikamaru's comment. I couldn't help but smile too, even moreso when Kaori finally joined in on the laughter. It felt really nice to see everyone finally have reason to smile, reason to be happy...reason to go on living.

Kai's blush finally wore off as he chuckled as well. "Well," he started, extending his arm out Shikamaru, "I think it's about time for us to go our separate ways. It's a damn shame too, because you guys were a fun bunch."

A light smile tugged Shikamaru's lips as he shook Kai's hand. "Well, I guess we could say the same about you guys."

_Looks like those two are finally getting along, _I thought, still smiling. I was caught off guard and gasped when I noticed Kai's grin-plastered face dangerously close to mine.

"Heh, ta-ta for now, Doll-Face," he chuckled, swiftly kissing my cheek and causing me to blush heavily. Everyone had a different reaction to Kai's actions. Aki blushed cutely, Yuko shyly giggled, Kaori stared at her brother blankly, and Ino and Chouji were left wide-eyed. Shikamaru's reaction wasn't anything too dramatic, but I did notice a pout of annoyance on his face.

"Okay, Kai, was that really necessary?" he grumbled, his eye twitching in annoyance.

Kai didn't pay any mind to Shikamaru's annoyance and kept on flashing that grin of his. "Why, sure, it was. Dani's a cutie, and she deserved a little treat."

"Oh? But what about _me_?" Ino flirtatiously asked, pointing to her cheek cutely.

"Shut up, Ino...." Chouji, Shikamaru, and I muttered in unison.

The Yagari family all laughed at this. Kaori was the first to stop and tugged on her brother's shirt. "Hey, Kai, can we go yet?"

Kai smirked as he ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, kiddo." He turned to the three of us and smiled warmly. "Thanks for everything, you guys. I'm sure we'll cross paths someday, and I sure hope we do."

We waved goodbye as we set off back to Konoha. The mission was complete and all we could do was hope that the last survivors of the Yagari Clan will finally stop running and find peace somewhere. It'll happen eventually. I knew it, Shikamaru knew, and Ino and Chouji knew it. I was more than sure that Kai, Yuko, Aki, and Kaori did too.

After all that has happened, it astonished me that they were still strong enough to carry on. They witness death and fear, all of which happened on one single night. Those kids were an inspiration. They were a family who have faced many struggles...but they still held onto that belief of someday living a life without fear...a life with hope in their hearts...

...a life of everlasting freedom.

**(A/N: Chapter 27 is finally complete! Finally! And again, I'm terribly, terribly sorry for the agonizingly long delay. I still can't believe that my writing mojo has somewhat come back to me. Now I just need to get working on my other two fanfictions...Anyway, I have somewhat of an idea of what chapter 28 will be about, but I'll get to planning it out and typing it. I sure hope that it won't take me as long to update. I'm truly sorry. I know there have been people waiting for this chapter to come out.**

**Thus concludes our Yagari Clan saga. Until next time!)**

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	28. A Note from the Author

A Note from the Author

* * *

Hey, guys. I know it's been a good few years since my last update. I've been extremely busy, and because of this, I've completely lost track of time, as well as updating this story. I originally had many ideas for the chapters to come, as well as how I'll be ending the story, but as it turns out, those ideas are forever lost in the confusing labyrinth in my mind. With that, I'll just wing it for now until I get the feel of things again. Mind you all that I have completely fallen behind in Naruto, both the manga and anime, so I honestly have no idea what's going on in that series.

I'm not sure how much longer this story will be. My guess will probably be another few chapters unless I could come up with more clever ideas of how to finish things, since originally, it probably would have taken me another ten or fifteen chapters or so. I am currently in the process of working on the chapter, as well as reading over the previous chapters to get an idea of where I left off and where I should begin.

Again, my sincerest apologies to everyone who have been waiting this long for an update. I hadn't realized this until I checked my email (I no longer use the email I used this site for, but I do check it from time to time). Not only that, but I recently had a dream about this story, which may be a sign. I feel the need to not disappoint faithful fans of this story, and to give this story some closure.

Thank you all for loving this story and keeping it alive after all these years, and I'll hopefully have a long-awaited update for you guys. Stay gold.

**-Twilight-to-Nightfall**


	29. Reunion

Chapter 28

Reunion

* * *

(A/N: Hi, all. Twilight-to-Nightfall here and believe it or not, I've returned with a very long-awaited update. I want to start by apologizing again for this ridiculously long wait. As stated in the previous page, I had been incredibly busy as well as completely behind in all things Naruto. I've done a bit of research (and by bit, I mean really, not much at all to the point where it really won't relate to the recent episodes/chapters of the series, so bear with me), but otherwise I truly can't get back into following the series, so I'm going to wing it as much as possible. At first I didn't know where to begin, but as I started, I was really getting into it.

Also, I was rereading the story to see where I would take it and honestly, I couldn't help but cringe at some points throughout the story. It got to the point where I was considering to do a rewrite of the story. Possibly, when I eventually finish, but who really knows. I hope this chapter was a good way to continue.

Thanks to all who have been faithful to the story as well as new fans. Hope you like this update and stay gold).

* * *

I managed to crack a small smile as I folded the letter on my lap. It had been a good six or seven months since we completed the mission in Sei-an, but we had just received the letter written by Kai only this morning. Kai mentioned how he found a quiet village to settle in and thought it would be a safe place for Yuko, Aki, and Kaori. They wanted to keep their clan's reputation a secret for the time being, especially after the horrific incident that occurred during our last encounter with them. It was mostly a letter he had written to express his thanks and gratitude for all we had done for them and hoped to one day meet again. We had all read this letter upon arrival, but it somehow was kept in my possession. I walked over to my dresser and crouched down to open the last drawer. I gingerly placed the letter beneath my sweater and shut it.

I wasn't feeling like myself. Although I didn't exactly show it at the time, the last mission left behind a scar that messed with my mind. Maybe I wasn't as used to traumatizing events like Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were, since they've been going on missions long before I was even a thought in their mind. The change became more evident as time passed. I had to decline participating in several missions we were assigned to during these past few months. I just wasn't ready yet. I even put my writing on hiatus because I just didn't have the drive for it. I would begin writing, but then freeze up. I could only hope that it wasn't going to be permanent.

I had lost a significant amount of weight, as well. Granted I wasn't emaciated, but I was practically on par with Ino...maybe even slightly thinner. This wasn't done on purpose. I had difficulty eating, and I spent much of my time running around as a means for distraction, which resulted to the rapid weight loss. Ino and Chouji expressed their concerns, and even sat me down and planned to have an intervention before I assured them that I wasn't intentionally harming myself. Not only that, but I explained the impact the last mission had on me. Ino initially didn't take too kindly of this and told me to suck it up since I was a kunoichi in her eyes and that I should be able to handle things like one. However, she lightened up and realized where I was coming from and let it slide. Despite all this, she remained concerned for me, especially since I had become more reserved than usual.

I hadn't seen much of Shikamaru, though.

He had been stuck doing countless missions, so that alone was excusable. After all, it had only been as of recent that he earned the title as a Proxy Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces. However, I started seeing less of him when I was losing weight and keeping to myself more. It saddened me because of all people, I thought he'd be there to extract me from that state and to try to summon the old Dani back. Maybe I was becoming more of a burden to him than a friend. It was inevitable that it bothered me so much because I still loved him. That horrid, sickening feeling of loss which I often told myself was inexcusable. Unacceptable, even.

With everything going on, from the impact from the last mission, to my reserved state as well as the concerns from my friends and the neglect from Shikamaru, I was growing more homesick. I missed my parents. I missed Roger. I missed my boring and uneventful life. I missed being that one person no one knew.

From that point on, I just wanted to find a way back home. I no longer felt like I belonged.

There came a knock on my door. As much as I preferred my peace and quiet over anything else as of late, I let out a heavy sigh as I made my way to the door. "Hold on," I called, sluggishly turning the knob and pulling the door open. There stood Ino and Chouji, their faces unable to claim any emotion. Before giving my chance to respond to their unexpected arrival, they seized me by either arm and dragged me out of my room. "What's going on?" I asked as I was being pulled from the Yamanaka residence. I felt as though I was levitating as they dragged me. The feeling was strange to me since I never imagined I'd be light enough for two people to carry me with extreme ease.

"Chouji and I are going to break you out of this sorry state that you're in!" Ino exclaimed determinedly. "Since Shikamaru doesn't seem to bother with helping at all..."

That felt like a dagger in me.

"Come on, Ino, don't be too hard on the guy. You know he's busy," said Chouji.

Ino scoffed in reply. "Oh yeah, he's busy, alright," she snapped. "Probably out and about with Temari _again_."

There goes dagger number two...

"Knock it off, Ino..." Chouji scolded. He then looked at me. "But we are becoming more concerned for you, Dani," he continued, "and that's why we're forcing you out of the house for a change."

"Yeah, you can't have one little mission ruin your life," Ino added. "I know some crazy stuff happened, but it happened. Just put it behind you and move on. You can't be a basket case forever, you know."

There was no sense in arguing with them. I knew they were only concerned for me, and that alone was enough. "I guess so," I sighed, shrugging my arms. "But really guys, since we're finally out into town, you can let go of me now." The two responded to this command and I was finally free.

I continued. "Look, I'm sorry for worrying you guys. Really sorry, actually." My eyes fell to the ground. "I guess I'm just more or less used to dealing with stuff like this in more, well, unethical ways." I raised my head to face them. "You guys know I never meant to push anyone away...right?"

"Of coure we didn't," Chouji assured. "But honestly, things really _could_ get worse."

"Yeah, so just try and snap out of it, will ya?" Ino asked, resting her heads on my shoulders.

I nodded. "I guess I'll try..."

"Good, now let's fatten you up!" Before I even gotten a word in to protest, they had seized my arms once more and dragged me off to the nearest place with food.

Ino and Chouji decided to settle with some barbeque, and they ordered an abundance of different food for me to sample in attempts to get me to eat a decent meal again. Seeing that there was no way out of it as well as the guilt I felt about them insisting they'd treat me, I had no choice but to submit. Everything I had sampled was superb, and it was wonderful tasting the spices, meats and veggies. However, there came a point where I stopped eating, not because I was full, but because I had that sick feeling in my stomach that prevented me from eating much for a while in the first place. Ino even tried to force-feed me, something that was annoying yet had meant well on her part as she was convinced that it would help me gain all the weight I lost back. Chouji, being the more reasonable of the two, made her stop, and told me that I was free to do what I want and that it was good that I actually decided to eat right again...that and he joked about how it would be more food for him anyway.

As they continued eating the last bit of food left on the table, I decided to pipe in...though not in a way I had anticipated. "So will Shikamaru be around later in the evening?" I blurted. This caused the two to freeze. They gawked at me for a moment, and then stared awkwardly at each other, Ino with her chopsticks trapped between her rice-covered lips and Chouji with the sauce trickling to his chin. It was a comical sight...awkard, yet comical.

Chouji decided to speak. "Uh..." he began, looking back at me as he confiscated a napkin and wiped the sauce and remnants of meat from his face. "To be honest, Dani, I don't know," he answered. "I really haven't talked to him all that much as of late."

I was taken aback at his reply. "That's weird," I said.

Ino shrugged, waving her hand to signal for the check. "Like we said, he's been really busy, and I really don't envy him, personally," she added. I sat quietly as the check arrived. I reached for my pocket to retrieve my wallet, but Ino slapped my hand away.

"Uh, you guys do realize I can contribute more now, right?" I sighed. I had recently gotten a job shelving books at the bookstore in the village. It wasn't much, but it paid well. It kept me busy when I needed a distraction. I also didn't have to interact with too many people unless they caught me to ask a question. It was good, considering the fact I didn't even want to speak with too many people during these past six or seven months.

Ino grabbed Chouji's contribution on the bill and tip, counted, and then slapped over the bill. "Shut up. This is our treat to you, missy."

I shrugged as I followed them out of the restaurant. I still kept quiet as Ino babbled on about what the three of us should do next, though her words jumbled in my ears as I was too deep in thought to really be paying any attention to what was said.

I felt a tug on my sleeve. Snapping out of my trance, I looked over and found Chouji walking beside me, keeping with my pace as Ino march ahead. "He's not mad at you, you know," he suddenly replied with a small smile. "I hope you know that."

I looked down, crossing my arms as I shuffled my feet against the dirt ground. "I hope you're right," I muttered, though loud enough for him to hear. "Seems like he's been avoiding me like the plague...as cliché as that sounds..."

"Oh, don't say that; he's just been under a lot of pressure lately," Chouji assured, looking ahead. "And besides, he's probably also worried about you but doesn't know how to deal with it, which is different since he's usually the one who doesn't worry as much and knows how to handle things. Hard to explain, really, which is why Ino and I decided to step in and do something about it. My guess is that him being that busy is his way of distracting himself. Also," he looked back at me, "don't take it personally when Ino said he was probably hanging around Temari again. Just for the record, she only really works with him and nothing more. So just keep your chin up, okay?"

I shrugged as I managed to sneak a small smile. "I guess...Thanks, you're a good friend. Also, I know you guys have been really busy too, so why have you taken the time off today?"

"Well, about that..." he scratched his head. "We sorta lied to Shikamaru and the others by telling them we had some serious business to attend to, but really, we just wanted to check on you and make sure you're okay."

"And you guys won't get in trouble?"

"Not unless anyone find out-"

"Hey! Get back here, you thief!"

We stopped at our tracks and found the shop keeper of a grocery store waving his fist at a hooded stranger who ran off with a sack full of goods. Since Ino was closer, she ran to the shop keeper for more information on what happened. I kept my eyes on the thief to track his moves. After speaking with the shop owner, Ino hurried over to Chouji and me, grabbed our wrists and dragged us into the chase. "So the man told me this weird guy wearing strange clothing was sneaking some food in his sack," Ino explained as we chased the culprit. "When the thief got caught, he hurried out. He didn't attack the shop keeper or anything, but he didn't say a word and just escaped."

We were eventually led outside of the village and into the woods. The setup was all too familiar. I wouldn't have been surprised if we had no choice but to fight that man. I somehow outran Chouji and Ino, practically on the thief's tail. Given the opportunity, I pounced on the stranger and tackled him until both our bodies slammed against the dirt. I straddled the culprit and snatched the sack. The thief struggled to retrieve it, but I flipped his hood over to reveal his face. I froze in my place...he did too...that stupid spikey brown hair...those large light brown eyes...

"_**ROGER!?**_" I shrieked.

"_**DANI!?**_" he cried, quickly sitting up. He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. His embrace robbed me of oxygen. "I finally found you! Holy crap, I found you!"

Confused, I pushed him back. "What the hell are you doing here!? How did you get here!?" I asked, overwhelmed.

"The computer!" Roger replied, also overwhelmed. "I wanted to see if I was able to get to where you were taken and I actually did it! But I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, got attacked by a bunch of fucking wild animals, and somehow wound up in that village! How the hell did you survive all this time?"

"What's going on here!?" I looked over and found that Ino and Chouji finally caught up. "Good work, Dani!" Ino cheered, stomping over to Roger and me while cracking her knuckles. "Chouji and I will take it from here."

Roger gasped, but I quickly stood up and grabbed Ino's wrist. "No, no, no, don't hurt him!" I pointed to Roger. "This is my friend, Roger! He's from my world!"

"WHAT!?" Ino and Chouji gasped in unison.

"Then why did he steal all those groceries?" Chouji wondered.

"I dunno what came over me," Roger confessed. "I was so out of it after traveling for a couple of days without food or water or even a hospital to cure my animal wounds," he pointed to the various cuts and gashes on his knees, "and I was so hungry. I didn't know what to do and I didn't have any money...I swear this is the only time I've stolen-!"

"Here, let me heal your wounds," I offered, resting my hands on the gashes.

Roger jumped suddenly at this. "How the hell are you doing that, Dani?" he hollered, gawking as his wounds began to close up under my hands.

I glowered at him. "Stay still, would ya? I'm almost done. I'll explain later." Roger's cuts and gashes vanished within moments.

He stared at his knee, examined the now healed skin. He looked at me, mouth agape. "Yeah, we _really_ need to catch up. By the way, you look different. Did you lose weight?"

I pressed my lips tightly together before replying, "A bit, yeah...and my hair grew out a bit since the last time you've seen me."

"Yeah, I can see that. You look great, buddy."

I heard Ino snarl behind me. "Watch it, you. She's taken."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. The nerve of that girl...

Roger flashed a cheeky grin. "No kidding? That's great, Dani! Congratulations! So, who's the lucky guy?"

I scowled, the blush still lingering in my cheeks. "No one. She's lying..."

Ino rolled her eyes at my remark. "Fine. She's 'emotionally' taken...same thing," she grumbled, emphasizing the air quoting "emotionally".

Roger's grin never left his face regardless of my annoyance. "Well, I think that's still great. Also..." He chuckled nervously as he scratched his head. "Uh, so...is there a place where I can stay until further notice?"

I thought about that for a moment. Of course I wanted to help Roger out. He was my friend, after all. He had been for a very long time. I held my index finger up. "Hold that thought," I said, walking over to Ino and Chouji and dragging them several feet away, despite their protests. I had the three of us huddle. "So," I began in a low voice, "Roger needs a place to stay-"

"Nuh-uh! There's no room at the house!" Ino protested, her voice low like mine.

"Not _your_ house," I hissed. I snapped my head towards Chouji. "Do you think your folks would be okay with Roger staying with you? I promise it won't be for too long and if not, I can think of another option."

Chouji shrugged. "I honestly don't see why not. We can ask when we get there, but I don't think my parents will object to the matter. Besides, he's your friend, so I want to try to help."

I smiled softly, relieved to finally assist Roger. "Great..." I sighed. I turned my head to peek over at Roger, who was still sitting on the ground fiddling with the strings that dangled from his hoodie. "It's been a year and a half since I've seen him. I've missed him dearly..."

Ino made a face, eyes filled with concern. "Um, Dani? You guys aren't going back to your world, are you?" she asked. "It'll be sad to see you go."

"I really don't think Roger has any idea how to get back anyway," I assured. "Hard to say whether or not he'll try to find a way, but no need to worry, Ino."

Ino sighed in relief. "Great..."

We broke our huddle and walked over to Roger. He looked up, eyes widen with curiosity. "Okay, Roger, so you'll be staying with Chouji," I said.

His grin returned. "Awesome! Thank you so much-!"

"But!" Chouji began. "Only on the condition that you return everything you've stolen."

Roger bounced up and enthusiastically shook Chouji's hand. "You've got yourself a deal...roomie!"

* * *

I decided to accompany Chouji and Roger home while Ino went her separate way. As expected, Chouji's father Choza and his mother were extremely opened and all for the idea of Roger staying with them, especially if they'd be doing me a favor. With a warm welcome, Choza gave Roger a tour of their house as Chouji's mother happily offered me a plateful of the dinner they were having. Although I was already full from before, I politely gave in and managed to eat. She kept chirping "Eat, eat, eat" or "You're so skinny! You need to eat more", like she was some sort of Italian mother or grandmother, but I knew her heart was in the right place. I agreed to take whatever leftovers I had home with me. I thanked everyone and left.

It had gotten dark since we arrived to the house. Fortunately, Ino's place wasn't too far off, a good walking distance, but thankfully not too bad. I suddenly stopped and froze at the sight ahead of me. I found Shikamaru speaking with one of the more advanced shinobi. I didn't know what, but I assumed it was business related and therefore not my place to know. My chest tightened, aching at the sight of him, wanting so much to approach him and speak to him, but I didn't want to intrude. The man left and Shikamaru started to walk off towards the same direction I was heading to. "How convenient..." I muttered, working up the courage. I gulped. "Well, here goes nothing..." I started to power walk towards him. "Hey!" I called, hoping to get his attention.

That plan worked and he turned around, surprised to see me. He cocked an eyebrow. "Where did _you_ come from?" he asked.

"From Chouji's," I answered rather calmly, but deep down...I was a wreck. "You're not going to believe this but...a friend of mine from my world is here, and he's staying with Chouji."

"Really..?" he asked. "Does that mean he's trying to take you home?"

I was startled by his remark. "I don't even think he knows the way back. I'll explain everything when we see each other again..." I awkwardly shuffled my feet. "Um...could you walk me home?"

He shrugged. Typical response. "Sure, why not?"

I was even more fortunate that I was closer to the Yamanaka residence. During the walk, Shikamaru and I didn't say much. I decided to break the silence. "So...how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

He hesitated. "I'm fine..just busy, which is troublesome." I failed to suppress my giggling. "Hopefully it won't be for much longer."

I nodded. "Yeah. I really missed you-" I bit my bottom lip, mentally kicking myself for blurting that out like that. _Dammit!_ My cheeks turned red, but he didn't notice. In fact, he didn't seem to have any sort of response to what I had said. It took me a moment to realize we were standing in front of the house. "Well, here we are," I said nervously, unable to look at him in the eye. "Well gotta go-!"

"Hold on," he interrupted, which caused me to freeze. He looked at me. "Are you okay?"

I chuckled nervously, fearing that he had notice. "Heh, heh, I'm fine. It's just been a long day-"

"No, I mean are you _okay_? During this past half year, I mean..."

I tensed at this. The sudden feeling of guilt and sadness returned to eat me alive. I sighed, finally looking at him in the eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so," I answered. "I know I'll get through somehow...I'm sorry if I've been-"

"It's fine. Honestly, I can see why...but..." he faced the sky. "Just next time don't shut me out. Don't shut anyone out. Also," he smirked, "stop losing weight before you really get sick."

I returned his smirk, crossing my arms over my chest. "You act as though I did that on purpose."

"Heh, well..."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Startled, Shikamaru and I looked up to where we heard the noise. We found Ino leaning against her bedroom window. She grinned. "Hate to interrupt your chit-chat, but you need your beauty sleep." With that said, she shut her window.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say," I said. I walked over to the front door, stopped, then looked back at Shikamaru. "Thanks again for walking me home."

"No problem. Well, have a good night." He started to walk away, but then stopped to look at me. "Oh, and by the way."

"Yeah?"

There was a slight pause. "I was never mad at you. I hope you know that." With that, he waved goodbye and walked away.

I watched him for a moment, smiling softly, then broke my gaze as I stepped inside.

**(A/N: And there you have it. Sorry if the ending of the chapter seemed a bit rushed, but I was running out of ideas. Anyway, I'll start brainstorming on the next chapter. I'm heavily contemplating over one of two plots for the future chapters. I was thinking of a Wizard of Oz themed one, and I already know who I planned to star as Dorothy and the gang but not the Wizard, Glinda, or the Wicked Witch of the West. So if you guys like that idea, please send in your opinion and I'll work with the most popular and more likely candidate. The other idea I had was perhaps the girls of Konoha get kidnapped and sold into prostitution and the boys have to save them...by crossdressing. Let me know what you guys think of that idea. Until then, hope you enjoy this very long-awaited chapter.)**

**Twilight-to-Nightfall**


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